Strike and Ball

Strike and Ball is an Italian language text-based sports game for the C64. This program, based on the famous game Mastermind, involves a contest between two players in which each must first choose a secret number and then try to guess the number chosen by their opponent. Players take turns stating a number, and the opponent provides feedback indicating how close that number is to the secret one. This feedback specifies the number of digits that appear in the secret number but in a different position ("ball" digits) and the number of digits that appear in the secret number and occupy the same position in both numbers ("strike" digits). For example, if the secret number is 4371 and the opponent guesses 2357, the response would be 1 "ball" digit (the 7) and 1 "strike" digit (the 3). As the game progresses, it becomes clear that—based on the feedback—some digits must be eliminated from future guesses, others simply need to have their positions changed ("ball" digits), and others, once identified, should not be moved again ("strike" digits). The winner is the first player to correctly guess the opponent's secret number.

It was developed by Franco Arcieri and published as a type-in listing in the book "20 Programmi per Commodore 64".