The Numbers Game
This game is from the British TV show Countdown, based on an earlier French game show.
- A target number between 100 and 999 inclusive is selected at random.
- The six other numbers shown below the target must be manipulated to reach the target number.
- Only the four basic arithmetic operations are allowed: +, -, × and ÷.
- Each number can only be used once in a solution, but the numbers don't all have to be used.
- Each step of the calculation must yield a positive, whole number. Division must be exact, without remainders or fractions.
- The six numbers are drawn at random from an initial set of 24. These consist of the "small" numbers 1 to 10, each occurring twice and four "large" numbers: 25, 50, 75 and 100.
- In the TV show, players have 30 seconds to reach the target. There is no timer in the version presented here.
- The target can always be reached, But The objective is to get as close as possible.