Frequently Asked Questions

About the nerdleverse

• What inspired the creation of nerdle and the nerdleverse?

  Nerdle and the nerdleverse are inspired by a love of games and a passion for math. As soon as we launched our first game, our mission became obvious - to make math(s) more accessible and even a little less scary for everyone. Our nerdle games are intended to be at once challenging, fun and educational.

• How did nerdle come about?

  Driving home with my daughter Imogen, we were chatting about the Wordle craze and agreed there must be an equivalent for us maths fans. A few minutes later, we’d decided on the rules of the game and the name “nerdle”.
  
  As far as we can work out, there are over 100,000 valid solutions but (and this time my son, Alex gets the credit) we have chosen 17,723 of these as there are quite a lot we thought you wouldn't like.
  
  We're a small team of passionate puzzlers and love nothing more than seeing our games being played around the world in schools, at the breakfast table and on the commute.
  
  We think it’s just as fun playing with numbers as playing with letters. See if you agree!

  Envisaged by Richard and Imogen Mann.
  Put together by Marcus.
  Optimisations & support from Gavin.
  Solutions by Alex.

• Why nerdle?

  Puzzle games aren't just fun—they’re like a workout for your brain! Games like nerdle engage your mind by challenging you to think logically, solve problems, and even improve memory. Just like physical exercise helps keep your body fit, math puzzles help strengthen your cognitive skills, keeping you sharp and focused.

• What is a nerdle account?

  With a nerdle account, we can keep a record of your stats and scores. That means you have the same experience wherever you login from and can use multiple devices to play. It also means we have a backup of your scores so they won't get lost.

  A nerdle account also gives you access to all of our Badges and updates on Challenges and new games.

  You can sign up for an account or log in by clicking on the game menu then 'login'. To register, we just need your name and email address. It's quickest to register with a google account but you can also simply enter your email address and choose a password. You can manage your account in 'settings'. Our privacy policy can be found here.

• Why can't you spell 'math'?

  "Math" as an abbreviation for mathematics is mainly used in American English. British English uses "maths". As the idea for Nerdle was born in London, England, we've stuck with the latter. However, because we like to all be friends, we've gone with American English for "color" instead of "colour". Hopefully that’s fair!

• When do the games reset?

  Most of our games our daily games i.e. there is just one game per day. Some have multiple levels available each day. You can also replay previous games and some game modes allow an 'unlimited' mode to keep playing.
  
  The standard reset time for each game is set to midnight GMT (i.e. UK time) so that everyone plays the same game at the same time. The reset time in each time zone is therefore:

  • 4pm PST
  • 7pm EST
  • Midnight GMT
  • 1am CET
  • 9am JST
  • 11am AET

  However, if you prefer to use your local time zone and for games to reset at midnight where you are, go to 'settings' select 'use local time'.
• Why do you have donations and ads?

  Nerdle is free to play therefore we incorporate ads and a donation option into our site. This helps to cover our costs and ensure we can keep developing new games. We have tried to do this whilst maintaining a great playing experience and supporting our 'positive numbers' mission. If you feel that we haven't got this right or you see ads that you do not consider appropriate, please let us know by emailing contact@nerdlegame.com. You can also turn off ads for 3 days at a time in settings.

Classic nerdle and nerdle variants

• How to play (the rules)?

  Guess the NERDLE in 6 tries. After each guess, the color of the tiles will change to show how close your guess was to today's solution.

  • There are 8 characters
  • A character is one of "0123456789+-*/=" (normally! We've added some extra maths symbols in games like maxi.nerdle but you'll see these on the keyboard)
  • A valid guess must be a calculation that is mathematically correct.
  • So it must have one "="
  • Also, the number on the right of the "=" is just a number (not another calculation)
  • Standard order of operations applies, so calculate * and / before + and -
  • Commutative answers are accepted. i.e. if today's answer is 10+20=30, then 20+10=30 will also be accepted. However the commutativity rule only applies when everything else matches today's target solution.

  9 * 2 0 = 1 8 0

  The number 9 is green and is therefore in the solution and in the correct spot.

  9 * 2 0 = 1 8 0

  The number 2 is purple and is therefore in the solution but in the wrong spot.

  9 * 2 0 = 1 8 0

  The number 1 is black and is therefore not in the solution in any spot (at least, not in this example – see rules for doubles)

  If your guess includes, say, two 1s but the answer has only one, you will get one color tile and one black.

  Watch our how to play video:

  @nerdlegame play now at nerdlegame.com #nerdle #nerdlegame #maths #math #teacher #teachersoftiktok #games ♬ original sound - nerdlegame

• How to play (starting the game)?

  Visit nerdlegame.com . Enter your guess with the on-screen keyboard or, on a laptop/tablet, a connected keyboard.

• Are there different game types?

  As well as the original (or ‘classic’) nerdle game, we also have variants called ‘mini’, ‘speed’, ‘instant’ and ‘pro’.

  Mini nerdle has 6 digits instead of 8. Smaller but still quite a challenge!

  In speed nerdle, you’re against the clock. You are given a starting guess and there are time penalties. You need to think fast but not panic!

  In instant nerdle, you only have 1 guess but you're given all of the digits and there’s only one possible answer. Sounds simple, but this one is pretty tough!

  Pro nerdle allows you to create your own nerdle challenge for someone else to play. There are even some extra maths symbols you can use. So you can make your pro nerdle as easy or as difficult as you like!

  Watch a video introducing all our games here:

  @nerdlegame Give them a try at nerdlegame.com#nerdle #nerdlegame #speednerdle #mininerdle #nerdlepro #instantnerdle #maths #math #games #teacher ♬ original sound - nerdlegame

• Can I play more than one game?

  There is only one new game a day, which resets at midnight GMT.

  However, each version (classic and mini) both have their own daily challenge.

  You can also play games from earlier days – see the FAQ for Nerdle replay below.

• Can I play the game from a previous day?

  You can play games from previous days by adding a date to the end of the web page that you visit. For example, for the 31 January 2022 game, you can go to: nerdlegame.com/20220131

  If you enter an invalid date (a future date or a date before that version of the game was launched) you’ll end up at today’s game.

  The game will default to classic or mini depending on which you played last. Or if you prefer, you can choose using a url such as classic or mini

• Why does it say 'that guess doesn't compute'?

  If you enter a calculation that doesn’t work mathematically, you will see the message "That guess doesn’t compute". This means that the calculation on the left hand side does not equal the number on the right (e.g. 10+10=21). Or that we don't recognise it as a calculation at all (eg 10**1==1).

  If you think your calculation is correct but you are still getting the doesn't compute message, please double check your maths. Also note that '*' and '/' take precedence. 1+1*2=3 is correct because you multiply 1*2 first such that the calculation is effectively 1+2=3. You could think of this as the same as 1+ (1*2). See "what is order of operation" for an explanation of why we do this

• What is order of operation?

  Nerdle applies the maths principle called 'order of operation' which means that some mathematical symbols (called 'operators') take precedence over others.

  Puzzles may have operators in any order but order of operation means that you have to calculate '*' and '/' before '+' and '-'

  So 1+1*2 is the same as 1+(1*2) = 1+2 = 3 and not the same as (1+1)*2 = 2*2 = 4. This might be a bit unfamiliar (especially if those maths lessons seem a long time ago!) but you'll get the hang of it quickly, we promise

  @nerdlegame Order of operations can be a bit tricky - here’s how they’re relevant to nerdle! #nerdle #nerdlegame #math #maths ♬ original sound - nerdlegame

• How do doubles work?

  The answer to a Nerdle may contain the same character more than once. Your guess, whether right or wrong may also contain the same character more than once. The color coding Nerdle uses for repeat characters is as follows:

  • Any character(s) in the correct position are scored first and will show green
  • If there is an additional example of this character in both the guess and the answer (but not in the right place), this will show purple
  • If there are more of the same character in the question than the answer, the extras will show grey.
• How do I share my result?

  When you solve the Nerdle puzzle, a win screen will pop up. Click the share button to share your success with your friends.

  If you are playing on mobile or tablet, you can share straight to apps such as WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook.

  If you are playing on a desktop, the share button saves your result in your clipboard. You should be able to paste into any other application that you want to share on.

  Some older mobile operating systems and a few laptops don’t support the sharing function. In that case, your best bet is to just share some text like "Nerdle – solved in 3 today". Or you can take a screen shot. But please crop out the actual answer to avoid a spoiler!

• What about zeros?

  Nerdle answers don't use leading zeros or lone zeros, even though some may be accepted as valid guesses. So you won’t find an answer like this: 0+5+5=10, or like this: 01+2+1=4. However, 0 is allowed as the answer to the right of the equal sign (i.e. 5-3-2=0 is allowed).

• What about negative numbers?

  Nerdle answers don't start with negative numbers or have a negative number after the equals sign, even though these may be accepted as valid guesses. So you won't find an answer like this: -5-6=-11.

• How does number ordering / 'commutativity' work?

  We get it. 1+2 and 2+1 are effectively the same in maths because of a principle called "commutativity". In the same way, 3*4 = 4*3.

  In Nerdle, the "correct" answer will have one specified order and that's how we decide which of your guesses turn green, purple or black.

  However, for the maths purists who would like 1+2 and 2+1 to be as correct as each other, we accept either. We then rearrange your guess to our "correct" answer if required, so you know what we were looking for.

  To be accepted as commutative, your guess must still have all the same numbers, the same operators and the same answer as the one we’re looking for.

  Nerdle will not 'move' tiles or change their colour to green unless the whole row is commutatively equivalent to the solution. In this case the guess will win the puzzle and the tiles will be moved to fit the solution.

  You can turn "allow commutative answers" on/off in the settings menu.

  @nerdlegame What are commutative answers?Give it a try at nerdlegame.com#nerdle #nerdlegame #speednerdle #mininerdle #nerdlepro #instantnerdle #maths #math #games #teacher #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - nerdlegame

Cross nerdle, Targets, Maffdoku and Other Games

• What is Cross nerdle?

  Cross nerdle is like a crossword but with numbers. Instructions are provided on the screen when you start the game.

• What is Targets?

  Targets is a game where you hvae to build a calculation to match the target or targets given. Instructions are provided on the screen when you start the game.

• What is Maffdoku?

  Maffodoku is similar to Sudoku but involves a bit more math. You have one 3x3 grid where you have to enter the numbers 1-9. The squares around the outside provide clues as they are either the sum (a+b+c) or product (a*b*c) of its row/column. Instructions are provided on the screen when you start the game.

• What are your other games?

  For our full suite of games, see our nerdleverse home page.

Badges and Challenges (coming soon)

• How do I earn badges?

  You can earn Badges as you play nerdleverse games. The following Badges are available:

  Straight Badges: earn your first Straight Badge by successfully completing a game every day for 7-Days. Then earn more Straight Badges by extending your straight to 30-Days, 60-Days etc.

  Points Badges: earn your first Points Badge by achieving 50 points across any nerdleverse game each week. Then earn more Points Badges by reaching 50 points etc.

  Challenge Badges: sometimes you can earn a Challenge Badge by completing a special challenge. eg by opening all the doors on our "Add"-vent calendar in December.

• Am I eligible for badges / do I need to be logged in?

  The 7-Day Straight Badges are available even when you’re not logged in. However, we’d love for you to earn our exclusive Badges - longer Straight Badge and nerdleverse Points Badges - accessible only to logged-in players. Set up an account or login here to start collecting them.

  The other benefit of logging-in is that you can mend a broken straight by playing any games you missed.

• What games can I earn Badges for?

  Right now, Straight Badges are available on classic and mini nerdle.

  You can also earn Points Badges across all nerdleverse puzzle games. Points are based on how you perform on each game when you play. More details on how you can earn points can be found .

• How can I take part in Challenges to earn Badges?

  You’ll automatically be enrolled in Challenges but to earn and see some of our exclusive Badges you’ll need to log in with an account.

• What’s the difference between a Streak and a Straight?

  You'll see 'Streaks' mentioned on your statistics page. A 'streak' counts the number of games you've won without a loss, regardless of whether you play every day. A 'Straight', on the other hand, is the number of consecutive days you've played. Badges can only be earned by completing a Straight.

• Can I repair a broken Straight?

  If you break your Straight, you will see a broken badge in your profile. But don't worry, you can go back and play a missed game within the last 7 days. First you'll need to login. Then just follow the link to your game diary on the profile page.

• Why has my Straight/Points Badge vanished?

  Straights Badges: these are earned with a continuous run of games. Miss one and you'll lose your badge but you can mend a straight by replaying a missed game in the last 7 days.

  Points Badges: these are earned every week (starting Monday). Earn a new one by gaining enough points in the new week.