Target Number Puzzle: A Beginner's Guide to the Rules
New to the Target number puzzle? Here are the rules, one worked example, and three habits that make your first game feel doable.
Target is a small daily number puzzle in the spirit of the Countdown Numbers Game: six numbers, four operations, one target. If you've never played, here's everything you need to know before your first go.
The rules
You're given six starting numbers and one three-digit target. Combine any of the six using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to reach the target exactly. You don't have to use every number. Each number can be used at most once.
A worked example
Numbers: 100, 75, 3, 6, 8, 2. Target: 812.
- 100 × 8 = 800 - 6 × 2 = 12 - 800 + 12 = 812
Solved in three steps using four of the six numbers.
Three beginner habits
**Look for the target's neighborhood first.** If the target ends in 2, you likely need a multiplication that lands nearby, then a small add/subtract.
**Big numbers are levers, not obligations.** The 100 and 75 rarely appear together in optimal solutions — they're pull-in-one-direction moves.
**Reach "close" before "exact."** Getting within 10 usually reveals the final step.
Try today's Target
Play the free daily Target puzzle — it takes about five minutes. When you're ready to go deeper, read our Target strategy tips or the Target vs Countdown Numbers Game comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of the Target number puzzle?
You get six numbers and a three-digit target. Combine any subset of the numbers using +, -, ×, ÷ to reach the target exactly. Each number is used at most once.
Do I have to use every number?
No. Using fewer numbers is often the elegant solution.
Can I use the same number twice?
No — each of the six starting numbers can be used at most once per solution.
Is division always allowed?
Division is allowed but must produce a whole number at each step (no fractions carried forward).
Where can I play Target for free?
The daily Target puzzle is free at puzzletheory.fun/games/target — no account required.
Play a puzzle
Put the ideas from this article into practice with today's daily challenge — or browse all our games.