Number Forge

How to play

Every round gives you six numbers and a target. Pick two numbers and an operator — + − × ÷ — and they combine into a new number, which you can use again. Keep combining until one of your numbers hits the target: that's a forge. Every result has to be a whole number above zero, and each number is spent the moment you use it in a combine.

Here's a worked example. Numbers 75, 8, 5, 4, 2, 1, target 316:

75 × 4 = 300 · 300 + 4 —illegal, 4 is spent— 8 × 2 = 16 · 300 + 16 = 316

The middle step shows the rule in action: the 4 was already used in the first combine, so it isn't there to add again — 8 and 2 make the 16 that finishes the job instead. There's no clock and undo is free, so this is a daily numbers game you can actually think through, not race through.

Strategy tips

1. Work backward from the target's factors — what two numbers multiply or add to something close?
2. When larges are on the board, getting near a multiple of 25 is usually the fastest route in.
3. Save subtraction for fine-tuning at the end, once you're already close.
4. Chasing par means fewer, bigger strikes — look for one combine that does the work of two.
5. Division is rare in a par solution. When it's forced, the puzzle is telling you something about the target.

Why play

Number Forge is a daily math puzzle built for mental math practice and order-of-operations practice, not memorization — every round is a fresh arithmetic puzzle online, and every target is guaranteed solvable, so getting stuck is never the point. Three tiers a day (Apprentice, Journeyman, Master) means a couple of minutes' warm-up and a genuine reach-the-target challenge to close. It's a daily puzzle with streaks: free, no signup, no ads to click through, and school-safe by design.

FAQ

When do new puzzles arrive?

At midnight UTC, everyone gets the same three fresh rounds. Your streak counts days where you forge at least one target.

Is every puzzle actually solvable?

Yes — every target is verified reachable before it's served. If you're stuck, undo is free and par is listed after you finish.

Is this like the Countdown numbers game?

It's the same beloved arithmetic idea — reach a target from six numbers — reimagined as a three-round daily with streaks.

I miss the NYT's Digits — is this a replacement?

Number Forge is our own take on the genre that game left behind in 2023: always-solvable rounds, three difficulty tiers, and a daily streak.

Do I need an account?

No. Progress and streaks live in your browser. No signup, no cookies, free.

Can I play old puzzles?

Not yet — each day's forge closes at midnight UTC. An archive is on the roadmap.