Decrypto is played by two teams. Each team can see its own four secret words, numbered 1 to 4, but not the other team’s words. One player draws a secret code made of three of those numbers. They give three clues, in order, to help their teammates work out the numbers on the code card. For a code of 4-3-2, the clues must point to words 4, 3 and 2 in that order.
The opposing team hears those clues too. Starting in the second round, it can try to guess the code before the clue giver reveals it. A correct guess is an interception. Teams are trying to intercept two opposing codes while avoiding two wrong answers to their own clue giver.
The four secret words stay in the same numbered positions for the whole game. Once a code is revealed, everyone learns which number each clue referred to. Those earlier clues can help you guess a later code even if you never work out the exact secret words.
Three rounds of clues to work with
Imagine that three rounds have finished and neither team has won yet. You have written down the other team’s clues and the codes revealed afterward. Each number matches the clue in the same position: in round 1, STACKS referred to word 1, YEAST to word 2 and WHISTLE to word 3.
| Clues in the order given | Revealed code |
|---|---|
| Round 1: STACKS · YEAST · WHISTLE | 1-2-3 |
| Round 2: PETAL · CATALOGUE · CRUST | 4-1-2 |
| Round 3: PLATFORM · VASE · SHELVES | 3-4-1 |
Group the clues by their number
Now gather all the clues that referred to the same number. Word 1 has STACKS, CATALOGUE and SHELVES. Word 2 has YEAST and CRUST. Word 3 has WHISTLE and PLATFORM. Word 4 has PETAL and VASE. The game’s note sheet provides space for these four lists.
You might think word 2 is BREAD, or perhaps BAKERY. Word 3 could be TRAIN or STATION. You can leave those possibilities open. When you hear the next clues, you are trying to match each one to a number, so you can use a connection to baking or rail travel without settling on a single word.
Try the next code
The other team now gives these three clues: BOUQUET, TIMETABLE, SOURDOUGH. Use the earlier clues to choose three numbers in that order before reading the answer.
BOUQUET suggests the flowers in PETAL and VASE, both clues for number 4. TIMETABLE fits the railway clues WHISTLE and PLATFORM under number 3. SOURDOUGH fits YEAST and CRUST under number 2. Those connections suggest 4-3-2.
For this invented example, the hidden words are LIBRARY, BREAD, TRAIN and ROSE, and 4-3-2 is the correct code. Thinking BAKERY instead of BREAD could still have led you to the right number for SOURDOUGH. The numbers and their order are what your interception attempt must get right.
An actual clue may fit more than one list, so these associations will not always settle an answer. Keep possible alternatives in your notes when the evidence is mixed. You can make a reasoned guess without treating it as certain.
Give clues with the earlier rounds in mind
The same notes become a problem when you are giving clues. Your teammates can see LIBRARY, but the other team now has STACKS, CATALOGUE and SHELVES beside number 1. Another clue about shelves could make that number easy for both teams to recognize.
You cannot reuse a clue already given during the game. A fresh clue such as OVERDUE uses another familiar connection to a library: books that were not returned on time. It may help your teammates, but the other team could make that connection too. Check it against the clues they have already heard.
Clues must concern the meanings of the secret words and use publicly available information. A private memory shared with a teammate is not allowed, and information you give your team must also be shared with the opponents. That leaves you balancing two audiences every round. A clue that worked easily at the start may become risky once the other team has several rounds of notes to compare it with.
Explore further
The game pages below include overviews, rulebook links and teaching videos.