Cage Count A free daily math logic puzzle with number cages
Fill the grid so no number repeats in a row or column and every outlined cage hits its target. Three new puzzles every day.
About Cage Count
Cage Count is a free math logic puzzle that you can play in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer. You get a square grid, from 4 by 4 up to 7 by 7, and your job is to fill every cell with a number so that no number repeats in any row or column. The twist is the cages: thick outlines group cells together, and each cage carries a small clue such as 12×, 7+, 3− or 2÷. The numbers inside that cage must combine with the sign to hit the target. A 7+ cage over two cells might hold 3 and 4, or 1 and 6. A 2÷ cage holds a pair where one number is exactly twice the other. Cages with a single cell simply give you a free number to start from.
Every puzzle has exactly one solution, and every puzzle can be solved by pure reasoning. There is never a need to guess. The puzzles are built in advance by a generator and then checked by a logic solver that only uses real deductions, so the difficulty label tells you what kind of thinking you will need. Easy puzzles need only the cage clues and the rule about repeats. Medium puzzles add pairs of cells that share the same two options and cages whose numbers are locked into one line. Hard puzzles ask for triples, wings and the occasional what-if step where you try a number and watch it break the grid.
Three new puzzles arrive every day at midnight UTC, one Easy, one Medium and one Hard, and every player gets the same three. Monday is the friendliest day of the week and the puzzles get a little tougher as the week goes on. When you want more, open the archive: 600 more puzzles in four sizes, sorted from gentle to fiendish, are always waiting.
When you are stuck, the Hint button does not just hand you an answer. It marks the cage, row or column that matters, explains the next logical step in one plain sentence, such as which numbers a cage can still hold, and only then fills the cell if you tap it a second time. Pencil notes let you keep track of candidates, undo takes back any move, and the mistake highlight can be turned off if you want a pure solve with no safety net.
Your score depends on the grid size, the difficulty and your time, with a small cost for each hint and each mistake. Beat the par time for two stars, and do it with no hints and no mistakes for three. Solve at least one daily puzzle each day to build a streak, and watch the month calendar fill up. Tips: start with the single-cell cages, then look at the big multiplication cages, because they usually have only a few ways to be made. Remember that two cells in the same row can never hold the same number, which rules out many combinations at once. Cage Count plays instantly, works with touch, mouse or keyboard, and saves your progress on this device, or to your account when you are signed in.
How to play
Tap a cell, then a number on the pad. Fill the grid so every row and column holds each number once, and each cage's numbers make its target with the sign shown (+, −, ×, ÷). Notes switches the pad to pencil marks, Erase clears a cell, Undo takes a move back and Hint explains the next step. On a keyboard, use the arrow keys or WASD to move, 1 to 7 to place, Shift+digit or N for notes, Backspace or 0 to erase, U or Ctrl+Z to undo and H for a hint.
Controls and devices
- Controls: Touch, Mouse, Keyboard
- Works on: phones, tablets and computers
- Screen: portrait orientation
- Price: free, no download or sign-up
FAQ
- Is Cage Count free, and does it work on my phone?
- Yes. It is free and runs in the browser on Android phones, iPhones, tablets and computers, with nothing to download.
- How do the cages work?
- Each outlined group of cells has a target and a sign. The numbers in the cage must add (+), multiply (×), subtract (−, bigger minus smaller) or divide (÷, bigger divided by smaller) to the target. Subtract and divide cages always have exactly two cells. Numbers can repeat inside a cage only when they are not in the same row or column.
- Do I ever have to guess?
- No. Every puzzle has exactly one solution and can be solved by logic alone. The difficulty is set by the hardest technique the puzzle needs, not by luck.
- When do the daily puzzles change?
- At midnight UTC. Everyone gets the same Easy, Medium and Hard puzzle on the same day, so you can compare times with friends.
- How are hints different from just showing the answer?
- The first tap on Hint marks the cells involved and explains the next logical step in words. A second tap fills in the number. Each puzzle has 3 free hints; after that you can watch an ad for one more.
- How does scoring work?
- The base score grows with the grid size and difficulty, plus a time bonus for beating par. Each hint costs 120 points and each mistake 80. Two stars means under par time; three stars means under par with no hints and no mistakes.
- Is my progress saved?
- Yes. Puzzles in progress, your streak, calendar and archive progress are saved on this device, and to your account when you are signed in.
Credits
- Game design, code, puzzles, art and sound: Playora Games