How do you play the equation guessing game?
A true equation of 8 characters is hidden, such as 12+34=46. Type one of your own and press Enter. Every character is then marked: filled in and ticked if it is in the right place, light with a dot if the equation has it somewhere else, grey if it doesn't have it. You have 6 guesses, and a new equation every game.
Your guess must be true itself: the page checks it and says what is wrong if it isn't. Repeated characters are marked as in the Word Guess Game: only as many times as the hidden equation has them.
What counts as an equation?
- Digits, + − × ÷ and exactly one =, 8 characters in all.
- After the = only a whole number; before it, numbers joined by at least one sign.
- No number starts with 0, unless it is just 0.
- × and ÷ go before + and −; otherwise left to right. Every ÷ must come out exact, so 8÷3×6=16 is not allowed, even though it works out with fractions.
How many equations are there?
By these rules there are 65,704 equations of 8 characters, counted by building every possible left side and keeping those whose answer has the right number of digits. Most have a one-digit answer:
| Shape | Example | Equations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six characters, then a one-digit answer | 56÷8−3=4 | 53,495 | 81% |
| Five, then a two-digit answer | 9×3−1=26 | 10,891 | 17% |
| Four, then a three-digit answer | 8×21=168 | 1,318 | 2% |
The hidden equation is drawn in the same proportions, so a three-digit answer is rare. It also never contains a lone 0 or multiplies or divides by 1, and its answer isn't 0; your guesses may.
How do you solve it in fewer guesses?
- Find the = first. Where it sits tells you how many digits the answer has; with most equations it is in seventh place.
- Try several signs early. A first guess with two different signs and different digits tells you the most.
- Check the arithmetic both ways. Once you know the answer's digits, work backwards to the sums that can make it.
Is this the same as Nerdle?
It is the same kind of game: Nerdle, a number version of Wordle, launched in January 2022. This one is the site's own, with its own rules (for example, every ÷ must be exact) and a new equation every game. For the word version, play the Word Guess Game; for arithmetic against the clock, the Mental Math Test.