What is Nerdle?
Nerdle is Wordle for people who like numbers. Instead of a five-letter word, you are looking for a hidden calculation that fills eight squares, such as a sum with an equals sign and the answer. Every guess has to be a calculation that is actually correct, and the colours then tell you which digits and symbols are in the right place, which are in the calculation but somewhere else, and which aren't used at all. You have six guesses. The fun comes from combining two kinds of thinking: the deduction you know from word games, and quick arithmetic to make sure each guess adds up. The order of operations matters, so multiplication comes before addition, just as in school maths. Nerdle has grown into a family of number puzzles with easier and harder versions. It suits anyone who enjoys mental arithmetic, and it's a good daily game for students and teachers too.
How to play
- Enter a correct calculation that fills all eight squares.
- Green is the right spot, purple is elsewhere in the answer, black is not used.
- Find the hidden calculation within six guesses.
Quick facts
- Typical time
- 3–6 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Price
- Free to play.
- Account
- Not needed.
- Past puzzles
- Yes. A “replay” option lets you play previous games.
- On a phone
- Works in your phone's browser. Nothing to install.
- Other versions
- The same site has easier and harder versions with shorter and longer calculations.
Tips to get better
- Open with lots of different symbols. Start with 12+35=47, then 9*8-6=66. Between them they test nine digits and three of the four signs.
- Find the equals sign first. Its position tells you how long the answer is, and so how big the numbers on the left must be.
- Remember the order of operations. Multiplying and dividing come before adding and subtracting. 2+3*4 is 14, not 20.
- Let the maths do the eliminating. If the calculation ends in =12 and contains a multiplication, only a few sums are possible. Arithmetic rules out far more than the colours do.
- Digits can repeat. A green 1 doesn't mean there isn't another 1 somewhere else.
Who it's for
Nerdle is for people who enjoy mental arithmetic and felt left out by word games. It's a clever fit: the logic is Wordle's, but every guess also has to add up. If sums make you tense it won't be relaxing, and building a valid guess takes longer than typing a word. It's also good maths practice in disguise for children.
