The 24 game is a mathematics game used in schools to help students with skills such as problem solving and mental arithmetic - and it's fun! The game is for people aged nine and above.

How to Play

The game can be played with two or more people. You begin with a card that has four numbers on it between 1 and 9 and the object of the game is simple: to use those four numbers to make the number 24.

The first person to complete it says something like 'Done!', then tells the other players their solution. If the player's solution is wrong, the game continues. If the player's solution works, the player gets a point, and then the game continues with a new card.

The winner of the game is the person with the most points when the players decide to end the game.

Rules and Other Information

• You must use all four numbers.

• You can only add, subtract, multiply and divide.

• The number 9 on the card has a red centre to show the difference between nines and sixes.

Example

You have a card with the following four numbers on it: 6, 6, 7 and 9.

A solution:

9 - 7 = 2
6 - 2 = 4
6 x 4 = 24

There are three different difficulty levels, and these are shown on the cards themselves:

• If there is one dot, it is an easy level card.

• If there are two dots, it is a medium level card.

• If there are three dots, it is a hard level card.

There are a number of different versions of the game, and the rules will sometimes vary slightly for each one.

Game History

The game was created by Robert Sun in 1988 as a way to show students the relationship between numbers through a game. Since then, it has been used in over 500,000 classrooms throughout the world. Sun said he wanted to demonstrate that mathematics can be powerful, engaging, and most of all, fun.

Robert Sun also founded the company Suntex International Inc, who are committed to furthering maths education by making maths accessible, appealing and fun.

For more information about the 24 game, go to math24.com.

The 24 game is also similar to the maths card game Krypto.