Math is fun, said no one ever, but we can’t deny it speaks a tidbit of truth. Although we’re sure many of us struggled in our algebra and calculus classes for obvious reasons, it can be quite fun to solve problems and equations that can tease the brain. As long as the questions aren’t anything like “If Marie has seven oranges, how many moons are there in the sky,” we’re good.

In game form, math can be rather fun. Even if many of us, including yours truly, immediately get headaches whenever we encounter numbers, some number-based puzzle games provide loads of fun. Once you grab hold of them, you could end up surprisingly liking them, much like that ice cream flavor that became your favorite, even if you didn’t want to try it out at first.

2048: the quintessential number-based puzzle game

One of these puzzle games you might like is 2048. The goal is relatively straightforward: you must combine the same-numbered tiles in a 4x4 grid until you reach the titular 2048. The gameplay is relatively simple: you’ll move all the tiles across the board in any direction, and they’ll automatically combine with tiles containing similar values. Moreover, apart from numbers, there are also 2048 games that don’t use numbers and instead utilize things like pizzas, cute fluffy animals, and even desserts.

Apart from 2048 and its many varieties, there are other number-based puzzle games you would want to try out. These are:

Sudoku

Undoubtedly as popular as 2048, Sudoku is one of the oldest and most widespread number-based puzzle games today. Contrary to its name, the game didn’t originate in Japan but in Switzerland. However, it did travel to the Land of the Rising Sun through the United States, where the locals picked it up, and it became mainstream. After all, the Japanese do love their numbers.

The goal in Sudoku is to fill a 9x9 grid with numbers with digits from one to nine. It should be done in a way so that every row, column, and box, the numbers one to nine, without any repetitions whatsoever. It’s like a crossword puzzle - the only difference is it’s played with numbers.

Kakuro

Another popular numbers-based puzzle game in Japan, Kakuro is much like Sudoku - it can be referred to as a crossword puzzle played with numbers.

Basically, players need to fill a grid with numbers (one to nine) while following the sum clues for each row and column. The goal is to create unique combinations so that the numbers add up and befit their clues without repeating any of the digits. In a way, we could safely say it’s on the difficult side, but hey, it is still widely printed in dailies across the world.

KenDoku or KenKen

This game blends Sudoku and arithmetic as if the original game isn’t complicated enough. Jokes aside, KenDoku is played in an NxN grid, and the objective is to fill them with numbers while ensuring that no number repeats in any row or column. In addition, the grids are divided into several regions with target numbers and arithmetic operations (multiplication, division, addition, subtraction).

So, what do you think? Would you want to try out other number-based puzzle games or simply play 2048 games? Regardless of your choice, you’ll surely have lots of fun, and if played with kids, are a perfect way to develop logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Thanks to the abovementioned games (along with the others not on this piece), math can definitely be enjoyable.