diff --git a/client/src/config/globals.js b/client/src/config/globals.js
index b8a95f0..6d07eb2 100644
--- a/client/src/config/globals.js
+++ b/client/src/config/globals.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ export const globals = {
     MAX_CUSTOM_ROLE_NAME_LENGTH: 30,
     MAX_CUSTOM_ROLE_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH: 500,
     TOAST_DURATION_DEFAULT: 6,
-    ACCESS_CODE_LENGTH: 6,
+    ACCESS_CODE_LENGTH: 4,
     PLAYER_ID_COOKIE_KEY: 'play-werewolf-anon-id',
     ACCESS_CODE_CHAR_POOL: 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789',
     COMMANDS: {
diff --git a/server/config/globals.js b/server/config/globals.js
index 1c16e11..57fab5c 100644
--- a/server/config/globals.js
+++ b/server/config/globals.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const globals = {
     ACCESS_CODE_CHAR_POOL: 'BCDFGHJKLMNPQRSTVWXYZ0123456789',
-    ACCESS_CODE_LENGTH: 6,
+    ACCESS_CODE_LENGTH: 4,
+    ACCESS_CODE_GENERATION_ATTEMPTS: 50,
     CLOCK_TICK_INTERVAL_MILLIS: 10,
     STALE_GAME_HOURS: 12,
     CLIENT_COMMANDS: {
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ const globals = {
     },
     ERROR_MESSAGE: {
         GAME_IS_FULL: 'This game is full',
-        BAD_CREATE_REQUEST: 'Game has invalid options.'
+        BAD_CREATE_REQUEST: 'Game has invalid options.',
+        NO_UNIQUE_ACCESS_CODE: 'Could not generate a unique access code.'
     },
     EVENTS: {
         PLAYER_JOINED: 'playerJoined',
diff --git a/server/modules/GameManager.js b/server/modules/GameManager.js
index 1ba9d0d..506fa92 100644
--- a/server/modules/GameManager.js
+++ b/server/modules/GameManager.js
@@ -171,7 +171,10 @@ class GameManager {
         } else {
             // to avoid excessive memory build-up, every time a game is created, check for and purge any stale games.
             pruneStaleGames(this.activeGameRunner.activeGames, this.activeGameRunner.timerThreads, this.logger);
-            const newAccessCode = this.generateAccessCode();
+            const newAccessCode = this.generateAccessCode(globals.ACCESS_CODE_CHAR_POOL);
+            if (newAccessCode === null) {
+                return Promise.reject(globals.ERROR_MESSAGE.NO_UNIQUE_ACCESS_CODE);
+            }
             const moderator = initializeModerator(gameParams.moderatorName, gameParams.hasDedicatedModerator);
             moderator.assigned = true;
             if (gameParams.timerParams !== null) {
@@ -205,15 +208,23 @@ class GameManager {
         }
     };
 
-    generateAccessCode = () => {
-        const numLetters = globals.ACCESS_CODE_CHAR_POOL.length;
-        const codeDigits = [];
-        let iterations = globals.ACCESS_CODE_LENGTH;
-        while (iterations > 0) {
-            iterations--;
-            codeDigits.push(globals.ACCESS_CODE_CHAR_POOL[getRandomInt(numLetters)]);
+    generateAccessCode = (charPool) => {
+        const charCount = charPool.length;
+        let codeDigits, accessCode;
+        let attempts = 0;
+        while (!accessCode || (this.activeGameRunner.activeGames[accessCode] && attempts < globals.ACCESS_CODE_GENERATION_ATTEMPTS)) {
+            codeDigits = [];
+            let iterations = globals.ACCESS_CODE_LENGTH;
+            while (iterations > 0) {
+                iterations--;
+                codeDigits.push(charPool[getRandomInt(charCount)]);
+            }
+            accessCode = codeDigits.join('');
+            attempts ++;
         }
-        return codeDigits.join('');
+        return this.activeGameRunner.activeGames[accessCode]
+            ? null
+            : accessCode;
     };
 
     transferModeratorPowers = (game, person, namespace, logger) => {
diff --git a/spec/unit/server/modules/GameManager_Spec.js b/spec/unit/server/modules/GameManager_Spec.js
index 9dd5be8..2f10f01 100644
--- a/spec/unit/server/modules/GameManager_Spec.js
+++ b/spec/unit/server/modules/GameManager_Spec.js
@@ -260,4 +260,24 @@ describe('GameManager', () => {
             expect(gameManager.namespace.in().emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(globals.EVENTS.NEW_SPECTATOR, jasmine.anything());
         });
     });
+
+    describe('#generateAccessCode', () => {
+        it('should continue to generate access codes up to the max attempts when the generated code is already in use by another game', () => {
+            gameManager.activeGameRunner.activeGames = {
+                'AAAA': {}
+            };
+
+            const accessCode = gameManager.generateAccessCode(['A']);
+            expect(accessCode).toEqual(null); // we might the max generation attempts of 50.
+        });
+
+        it('should generate and return a unique access code', () => {
+            gameManager.activeGameRunner.activeGames = {
+                'AAAA': {}
+            };
+
+            const accessCode = gameManager.generateAccessCode(['B']);
+            expect(accessCode).toEqual('BBBB');
+        });
+    })
 });