Code Breaker · 4 min
Code Breaker: Use Every Hint
Change controlled variables so each hint narrows the three-digit code.
Last updated: 2026-07-22 · Written and tested by Starbox EditorialSeparate digit and position evidence
A hint can tell you that a digit belongs in the code, that it occupies the correct position, or both. Record those facts separately. Knowing that 7 exists somewhere does not justify keeping it in the first slot, and a correct position is stronger evidence than a merely present digit.
Change one feature at a time
After a useful guess, preserve confirmed positions and alter one uncertain digit if possible. If you change all three digits, the next hint combines too many causes and is difficult to interpret. Controlled guesses work like small experiments: the difference between two results explains what the changed digit contributed.
Test placement with swaps
When two digits are known to exist but positions are uncertain, swap them while keeping the third slot stable. An increase in correctly placed digits reveals the better arrangement. Avoid introducing a new digit during the same test unless you have no alternative, because it adds another explanation for the hint.
Maintain a candidate table
Keep three mental columns for the positions and remove digits contradicted by hints. Before submitting, ask whether the guess is consistent with every earlier result, not only the latest one. A code that violates old evidence wastes a turn even if it feels promising.
Return to the game with a clear method and compare like-for-like attempts.