Hard Number Match
How to play Number Match
Number Match is a number puzzle played on a board that is nine cells wide. Your goal is to clear every number from the board by removing them in pairs.
Which numbers make a pair
Two numbers make a pair when they are the same (3 and 3) or when they add up to 10 (3 and 7). Tap the first number, then the second, and both disappear.
Where a pair can be
The two numbers must be next to each other, with nothing but empty cells between them:
- side by side in a row, or one above the other in a column;
- on a diagonal line;
- at the end of one row and the start of the next, as if the board were one long line of text.
Empty cells never block a pair, so as the board clears, numbers that were far apart can meet.
Clearing rows and adding numbers
When a whole row is empty it is removed and the rows below move up. When you can no longer find a pair, add numbers: every number still on the board is copied, in order, to the end. You can only add numbers a few times per game, so look carefully before you use one.
Winning
Clear the whole board to win. Every board on this site has been checked by a solver, so it can always be cleared. If you get stuck with no pairs and no adds left, try the same board again or start a new one.
Tips
- Look for pairs that are far apart first: they are easy to miss later.
- Before clearing a pair, check whether one of the numbers is the only partner for another number.
- Save your adds for the end, when only a few numbers are left.