How to play Number Search
Solve each maths clue, then find its answer hidden in the grid of digits. Also known as Number find, Maths word search.
The rules
- Each clue is a maths question with one whole-number answer.
- The answer is hidden in the grid as a line of digits: across, down, backwards or diagonally, depending on the directions chosen.
- Drag across the digits to ring the number. Every answer appears exactly once.
- Find every number on the list to finish.
Playing Number Search on Puzzle Solvers
- Choose a level, a grid size, the directions numbers can run and the kind of clues, then press New Puzzle.
- Work out a clue, then drag across its answer in the grid — in a straight line, any direction that is switched on.
- A correct number is ringed in colour and ticked off the list. A wrong drag flashes red and counts as a wrong try.
- Hint works on the clue you tap (or the first one left): first the answer, then where it starts, then the whole number.
A worked example
Clue: the smallest 3-digit prime. 100 is even, 101 has no factors but 1 and itself — so the answer is 101.
Look for a 1 next to a 0 followed by another 1, in any direction that is switched on. Drag from the first 1 to the last to ring it.
Strategies
- Rare digits first. Scan for the least common digit of the answer — a 7 or a 0 — rather than its first digit.
- Check both ends. When backwards directions are on, 482 might read 2-8-4 from the other end.
- Estimate before you calculate. For 24 × 15, about 360 — look for a 3 followed by a 6 before working it out exactly.
- Use the list. Long answers are easier to spot; find them first and the grid gets busier with rings, so short ones stand out.
Common mistakes
- Ringing a number that only nearly matches — 1010 is not 101.
- Forgetting that "smallest" and "largest" pick out one number from many that would otherwise fit.
Where it comes from
Number Search was made for this site, mixing the classic word search with the number clues of a cross-number puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of clues are there?
Arithmetic, number properties (primes, squares, multiples), digit clues, factors and multiples, sequences, and percentages, fractions and decimals. Choose one kind or a mix for the level.
Can numbers overlap?
On the top levels two numbers may share a digit where they cross.
Can I print it?
Yes — Download makes a PDF with the clues under the grid and the answers at the back.
Keep going
- Play Number Searcha fresh puzzle every time
- Cross NumbersFill the grid with numbers so every across and down answer fits its maths…
- Make the NumberCombine the numbers you’re given with + − × ÷ to make the target exactly…
- Magic PathFind every number that fits the rule and join them all in one continuous path.
All guides: How to play every puzzle and game.