Numbers strategy: how to hit the target
Numbers gives you six numbers and a target, and three puzzles a day from easy to hard. Every step has to give a positive whole number, and every puzzle has at least one solution. The puzzles reward a few simple ways of thinking more than fast arithmetic. Here they are, with worked examples.
Get close first, then fix the difference
Most targets are reached in two moves: one big step that lands near the target, then a small correction. Look for a product of a big number and a small one that comes close, and see how far off you are.
Example: numbers 4, 8, 25, 3, 7 and 50, target 352. 50 × 7 = 350 is just 2 short. Now make a 2 from what's left: 8 ÷ 4 = 2. Then 350 + 2 = 352.
Work backwards from the target
Ask what the last step could be. If the target is 352, the last step might be 350 + 2, 354 − 2, 88 × 4 or 704 ÷ 2. Each of those turns one hard problem into an easier one: make 350, or make 88.
Targets near a multiple of 25, 50 or 100 are friendly: aim for the round number first and fix the rest.
Make the multiplier you need
Often the right big step needs a number you don't have, like a 9. Build it from two small ones: 3 × 3, 6 + 3, or 12 − 3. Small numbers are worth more as building blocks than on their own, so don't spend them too early.
Use division carefully
Division only works when it comes out even, which makes it powerful for turning two big numbers into a small one: 100 ÷ 25 = 4, 75 ÷ 25 = 3. It's also how hard puzzles hide their trick: a large product divided back down to the target.
A hard one, step by step
Numbers 25, 50, 75, 100, 3 and 6, target 952. No simple product is close, so think bigger and divide back:
- 100 + 6 = 106
- 106 × 3 = 318
- 318 × 75 = 23,850
- 23,850 − 50 = 23,800
- 23,800 ÷ 25 = 952
Habits that help
Undo is free, so test ideas without worry. You don't have to use all six numbers. There's no timer, so take a break if you're stuck. And if you give up, “Show a solution” teaches you one way, which is worth remembering for the next hard day.