Backtotal

Backtotal is a daily maths puzzle game that flips arithmetic on its head. Instead of finding the answer, you're given the target total and the operators and must find the four digits that make it work. Ten questions, one guess each, marked out of ten.

Each puzzle shows a target number at the top and four empty boxes with operators already printed between them. Your job is to fill those boxes with digits from 1 to 9 so the sum lands exactly on target.

• Fill four boxes with any digits from 1 to 9. Order doesn't matter, repeats are allowed.
• The signs between boxes are already printed. They follow standard order of operations: × and ÷ before + and −.
• Press Enter to lock in your answer. You get one press per question.
• Miss it and the question is marked wrong. The next one appears either way.
• You can retype and tinker all you like before pressing Enter, but no running total appears. The arithmetic is yours to check.
• After all ten, a results sheet shows what you entered, what it came to, and example solutions for anything you missed.

The ten questions get progressively harder. Early ones have dozens of possible solutions. By question ten, there may be only three or four digit combinations in the entire range that work.

Why we like it:

• ✅Reverse engineering the maths is more satisfying than it sounds.
• ✅One press per question means every decision counts.
• ✅The results sheet shows you what worked, so you learn even when you miss.

Hint: Don't rush. Work backwards from the target and test your sum twice before you press. There's no running total and no second chance, so careful beats fast every time.