Pocket Games
Mathle
Six squares, an equation to guess, six tries. Every guess has to be arithmetic that actually works: you can write 4×7=28, you cannot write 4×7=29. The colours tell you which digits and operators are in the right place, exactly like in Secret Word, our take on the game made famous by Wordle.
How it works
You have to guess a correct equation in six tries. Every guess must itself be a valid equation: what is written to the right of the equals sign has to be the real result of what is on the left. If it does not add up, the game will not let you submit — which is help, not a limitation.
After each try the colours speak, as in Secret Word:
- Green: that symbol — digit or operator — is in the right place.
- Yellow: it is in the equation, but somewhere else.
- Grey: it is not there at all.
On Pocket Games
| Difficulty | Squares | Operations | Longest numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 6 | + - * | two digits |
| Medium | 8 | + - * / | two digits before the equals sign, three in the result |
| Hard | 10 | + - * / ² | three digits before the equals sign, four in the result |
On screen, multiplication is the asterisk and division the slash. On Easy the equation to guess always has a single operator; on Medium and Hard it can have two, and on Hard a number can appear squared. The main operator is drawn from the allowed ones with equal odds: divisions come up as often as additions.
Calculations follow the usual order: squares first, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction, so on Medium 2+3*4=14 is a valid try. Repeated digits are coloured the Secret Word way: greens first, then yellows from the left, and if you type a digit more times than it appears in the solution, the extra copies stay grey.
On a computer you type digits and operators on the keyboard, with the asterisk to multiply and the slash to divide; Enter submits and Backspace deletes. The square can only be entered with the on-screen key.
Strategy
The first equation is for covering symbols, not for guessing. The Secret Word rule applies: start with digits that differ from each other and at least two operators. An opener like 12+34=46 puts five different digits and an operator into play in one go (on Easy, which has six squares, the equivalent is something like 4×7=28).
Change operator on your second try. Knowing whether the equation contains a multiplication or a subtraction narrows the field more than any digit: there are few operators, so each one is an enormous piece of information.
Use arithmetic to eliminate. This is the advantage Secret Word does not have. If you know the result ends in 4 and there is a multiplication, the possible digits on the left collapse on their own: no multiplication of numbers ending in 5 gives a result ending in 4. Every green on the result side is worth double.
Count the squares. The number of squares is fixed, and on its own it rules out almost every possible shape. Six squares only fit equations like 12-7=5, 8+9=17 or 4×7=28: as soon as you find where the equals sign is, you know how many digits are on the right and how much room is left on the left, operator included.
Repeated digits are common. Unlike words, equations repeat digits constantly. A grey on a digit is therefore much more informative than a grey on a letter in Secret Word: it removes that symbol from every position, unless the same digit is also green or yellow in that same try.
Common mistakes
- Trying round equations. 10+10=20 uses three different symbols in six squares: it is almost a wasted try.
- Sticking with the same shape. If two tries with addition produce no green on the operator, the operator is something else: changing it costs one try and saves three.
- Forgetting the equals sign has a position. The = is a symbol in a square too, and where it sits tells you how many digits are on each side.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter a wrong equation to probe for digits?
No: the game only accepts correct equations, and that is the rule that makes Mathle different from a plain digit-guessing game. A try is rejected, with a message saying why, if it does not fill every square, does not have exactly one =, does not add up, contains a division with a remainder or by zero, has a number starting with 0, or gives a negative result. A rejected try does not use up any of your six.
What happens if I run out of tries?
The game ends and shows you the right equation. Your record does not change: it only counts games you won.
Can I stop and carry on later?
Yes. The game is saved after every try and, when you come back, the start screen offers to continue it with its difficulty and the tries already made. There is a single save: if you start a new game, you are asked to confirm before it is replaced.
Does my record survive a change of phone?
Yes, if you play with a Google account: the three records, one per difficulty, are synced, and if two devices disagree the lower one stays. As a guest they stay on the device.
More games to try
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