How to play Crunch — free online number puzzle game
Five tiles, one target. Crunch the numbers to land closest.
- Players
- 1–4 (solo too)
- Length
- ~6 min
- Type
- Numbers
- Price
- Free
Crunch is the Countdown numbers round as a party game. You get five tiles and a target, and 40 seconds to combine them into something as close to the target as you can manage.
The forgiving part is that you don't have to hit it exactly. Closeness scores, so a near miss still banks points — which means nobody sits out a round staring at a blank screen.
Free, no app and no sign-up to join — players hop in with a 4-letter code on their own phone.
How to play Crunch
The host picks the round count
Five rounds is the default at 40 seconds each — longer than most games here, because arithmetic under pressure needs room.
Five tiles and a target appear
Everyone gets the same tiles and the same target number.
Chain the operations
Tap a tile, an operator, another tile. Build up a running total with +, − and ×.
Bank your best
Lock in the closest total you managed. You can keep improving until the buzzer, but what you bank is what counts.
Closest crunch wins
The reveal shows everyone's totals against the target and crowns whoever landed nearest.
What Crunch looks like
How scoring works
Scoring is on closeness to the target, so an exact hit is the maximum but a near miss still banks real points.
The closest player takes the round's crown on top of the closeness score.
Points accumulate across rounds. Being consistently close beats one perfect round followed by four blanks.
Tips for winning Crunch
- Get something on the board early. A rough total banked at 10 seconds beats a perfect one you didn't finish.
- Multiply first, then adjust. Getting into the right neighbourhood with a × and then nudging with + or − is faster than building up in small steps.
- Look at the target's last digit. It often tells you which tile has to be involved in the final operation.
- Don't chase the exact answer if you're already close and the clock is nearly gone — bank it.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need for Crunch?
One to four. It's self-scored so it works solo as a practice run.
Do I have to hit the target exactly?
No. Scoring is based on how close you get, so a near miss still banks — that's what keeps the game playable for everyone.
How long is a game?
About 6 minutes at the default five rounds.
Is it free?
Yes, free to play and free to host, with no account needed to join.
Free, no app and no sign-up to join — players hop in with a 4-letter code on their own phone.