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Countdown Numbers Game — Free Online, With Worked Examples
The classic mental arithmetic puzzle from the UK show Countdown, explained with 8 fully worked examples — then play a free version online.
Made by parents of elementary-school kids, for healthier screen time · the story behind DailyBrainer · Reviewed July 2026
The countdown numbers game is one of the oldest mental arithmetic puzzles still played daily by millions — it's the numbers round from the UK game show Countdown, running continuously since 1982. You're given six numbers and a three-digit target, and the challenge is to combine the numbers using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to reach the target exactly, or as close as you can get in the time you have.
What makes it a genuinely good brain exercise — not just a TV gimmick — is that there's rarely one "correct" path. Two people can solve the same puzzle in completely different ways and both be right. Below are 8 real, fully worked example puzzles with the numbers, the target, and a step-by-step solution you can reveal one at a time. Once you've seen how the logic works, you can play a free online version further down the page.
The rules, in plain English
You're given six numbers, chosen from two groups: large numbers (25, 50, 75, 100 — each used at most once) and small numbers (1 through 10, with two of each available). A random three-digit target between 100 and 999 is generated. Using any of the six numbers, combine them one operation at a time — addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division — to reach the target.
Three rules trip up beginners every time: you don't have to use all six numbers (most solutions use four or five), you can't create negative numbers mid-calculation, and division only counts if it produces a whole number at each step. Get closer than 10 away from the target and you're doing well; land on it exactly and that's a full solve.
💡 How to actually solve these fast
Start with the large numbers. Multiplying or dividing two large numbers (or a large and a small) usually gets you into the right neighborhood of a 3-digit target faster than adding a pile of small numbers.
Work backwards from the target's last digit. If the target ends in 5 or 0, look for a way to bring in a multiple of 5 late in your sequence — it narrows your options fast.
Don't force all six numbers in. Beginners often try to use everything at once and get stuck. The best solutions usually leave one or two numbers unused.
Get close first, then fine-tune. Land within 10-20 of the target using your biggest numbers, then use the smaller leftover numbers to adjust up or down by addition or subtraction.
8 worked example puzzles
Try each one yourself first — then tap to reveal the step-by-step solution.
It's a mental arithmetic puzzle made famous by the numbers round on the UK show Countdown. You're given six numbers (usually a mix of small numbers 1–10 and large numbers 25, 50, 75, 100) and a three-digit target. Combine the numbers with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to land on the target exactly, or as close as possible.
What's the best strategy for solving countdown numbers puzzles?
Start with the large numbers — multiplying or dividing two of them often gets you closest fastest. Try to land within 10–20 of the target using large numbers first, then fine-tune with the small numbers using addition or subtraction. You rarely need all six numbers.
Is there a free countdown numbers game I can play online?
Yes — NumRush is a free online countdown-style numbers game with no login and no download. Its Classic mode plays a fast four-number variant of the same core puzzle, plus Percentages, Real-World, Elementary and 1st Grade modes for every age.
Do you have to use all six numbers in the countdown numbers game?
No. You can use as many or as few of the given numbers as you like, and you never have to use a number more than once. Most solutions above use all four given numbers, but real six-number puzzles are often solved with just four or five.