Matchstick Puzzles

Game preview: Matchstick Puzzles

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Matchstick Puzzles

Game menu

Game settings

Sound

Game information

Goal and rules

Fix the equation

Move exactly the displayed number of matches. A match may rotate as you place it. The finished board must contain three recognizable digits and a plus or minus sign; the fixed equality sign cannot be altered. Every mathematically correct arrangement counts.

Choose, place and correct

Tap a wooden match to select it; a second tap on it cancels selection. Free dashed slots then become available. Tap a slot or drag a match there. Tab followed by Enter or Space also selects and places. Escape cancels selection. Each committed placement uses one move, including moving a match that you already moved. Undo restores the previous position; after using your move budget, undo or restart to try another approach.

Hints, completion and time

A hint first names the source number or operator. Mark the next move outlines the match and its destination without playing it; each stage counts as one hint. Undo first if the remaining moves cannot reach a solution. Matches glide into place and slow down before landing. When solved, the equation stays visible and Next puzzle appears below it. Time and aids are retained for this attempt without a result window. Menus and background time do not count.

Choose your next challenge

Tap Puzzle in the top-left statistics to advance immediately by one, wrapping from 50 to 1. Settings also offers direct selection of all 50 puzzles; changes there ask for confirmation during an attempt. Timer display, reduced motion, sound and volume preserve the board. Reduced motion also honors your device setting. Revisiting starts a fresh attempt at the selected puzzle. Account saves and rankings are disabled.

Start this puzzle again?

Your current arrangement will be reset.

A little help

About Matchstick Puzzles

A small move, a new equation

The matchsticks form a false equation. Move exactly the required number to make it true. Start with one match, then try two and three.

Read the gaps

Consider what a number loses as well as what another gains. A plus can become a minus. The equality sign stays fixed, and any valid equation within the move limit counts.

50 puzzles, no time pressure

Twenty puzzles use one move, twenty use two, and ten use three. Select any puzzle, undo a move or ask for a two-stage hint. Preferences are saved; revisiting starts a fresh attempt.

Rules, controls and settings

Goal and rules

Make a true equation using exactly the indicated moves. A move transfers one match to an empty marked position, with rotation allowed. Digits use seven segments; the operator may be plus or minus. All three numbers are single digits 0–9, with no negative signs or extra symbols. The equality sign cannot move.

Touch, mouse and keyboard

Tap a match and a free destination, or drag it there. Matches glide into place with a slowing finish. Tab and Enter or Space perform the same actions; Escape cancels a selection. Undo reverses a move. Tap Puzzle in the top-left statistics to advance, wrapping after 50. A solved equation stays visible with Next puzzle below it.

A way into the puzzle

Compare similar digits such as 0, 6, 8 and 9. Look for a useful destination before picking up a match. The first hint names a source number or operator; the second marks a source and destination. Hints and undos are counted for the current attempt.

Choose a puzzle and display

Choose any of the 50 puzzles in Settings. A change asks for confirmation during an attempt. Timer visibility and reduced motion preserve the arrangement. Sound has an on/off switch and volume slider. There are no account saves or rankings.

  • Puzzle: 1–50. A confirmed change starts a fresh attempt.

Display and sound

Timer visibility and reduced motion are selectable. Sound has an on/off switch and a volume slider.

Revisiting begins a new attempt with the saved preferences.

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