How to play
Short, plain-English rules for every game here, with an example and a few tips. Each one links to the game, so you can try it straight away.
How to play SudokuFill the grid with numbers so that no number repeats in any row, column or box.How to play Word SearchFind the hidden words in a grid of letters.How to play CrosswordRead a clue, work out the word, and write it into the grid. Words cross each other and share letters.How to play Fill-inA crossword with no clues. You are given the words, and you fit them into the grid.How to play Number PatternsA list of numbers follows a rule. Work out the rule and say which number comes next.How to play Word GuessGuess the hidden word in six tries. After each guess you are told how close you are.How to play AnagramThe letters of a word have been scrambled. Put them back in order to make a real word.How to play Seven LettersMake as many words as you can from seven letters, always using the one in the middle.How to play Word LadderTurn one word into another by changing a single letter at a time.How to play Code BreakerA secret number has been chosen. Use the clues from each guess to work out what it is.How to play SolitaireMove all 52 cards into four piles in the top row, one pile for each suit, built up in order from the ace to the king.How to play FreeCellA card game where you can see every card. Build all four suits up from the ace to the king in the top row.How to play CheckersThe classic board game against the computer. Jump over the other side's pieces until they have none left.How to play HeartsA card game for four, with you and three computer players. Take as few points as you can.How to play Gin RummyA card game for two. Collect sets and runs, then knock to end the hand when you have few cards left over.How to play DominoesThe family favourite. Match the dots at the ends of the line and be first to play your last tile.How to play CribbageA classic scoring card game for two. Play to 31, count your hands, and be first to 121 points.How to play SpadesA card game for four, with you and a computer partner. Bid how many tricks you will take, then make your bid.How to play BackgammonOne of the oldest board games. Roll the dice, move your checkers home, and take them off first.How to play KalahA traditional seed-sowing game from the Mancala family. Sow your seeds and collect the most in your store.How to play Nine Men's MorrisAn ancient board game of placing, sliding and flying. Make rows of three, called mills, to capture the other side's men.How to play Bead RowsA calm solo puzzle. Slide beads around the board and line up five of a colour to clear them.How to play Mahjong SolitaireClear the whole board by removing matching pairs of tiles.How to play Matching PairsTurn over two cards at a time and find the pictures that match.How to play TriviaA quiz of ten questions on subjects you choose.How to play Make Your Own PuzzleMake a word search or a crossword from your own words, then print it.How to play NonogramUse the number clues to fill in squares and reveal a hidden picture.How to play KakuroA crossword made of sums: fill the white squares so every run adds up to its clue.How to play SkyscrapersFill the grid with heights so each edge number counts the buildings you can see.How to play CalcudokuSudoku with arithmetic: fill the grid so no digit repeats, and every cage reaches its target.How to play CryptogramA saying has had its letters swapped for others. Work out the swaps to read it.How to play Mine FieldUncover every square without a mine. Numbers tell you how many mines are next to them.How to play Word AnalogiesFind the link in a pair of words, then pick the word that makes the same link with the third.How to play ReversiTrap the computer's discs between yours and turn them over. Whoever has more discs at the end wins.How to play GomokuTake turns placing stones. The first to make an unbroken line of five wins.How to play Binary PuzzleFill the grid with circles and squares using three simple rules. Also known as Takuzu or Binairo.How to play CryptarithmA sum in which every letter stands for a digit. Work out which digit each letter is.How to play Lights OffTap a light to flip it and its neighbours, and turn every light off.How to play Sliding TilesSlide numbered tiles into order. The 8 puzzle and the 15 puzzle.How to play Make 24Use four numbers and the signs + - × ÷ to make exactly 24.How to play Speed MathSixty seconds of mental arithmetic. Answer as many as you can and beat your best.How to play Number MemoryDigits flash on screen, then you type them back. Each time you succeed, one more digit is added.How to play Letter GridLink neighbouring letters in a 4 by 4 grid to find as many words as you can in three minutes.How to play Word FinderFind words that fit a pattern, or unscramble your letters. A helper for word games and crosswords.How to play Equation GuessLike a word guess, but the answer is a true equation. Find it in six tries.How to play ChessThe classic game of strategy for two. Capture pieces and trap the other side's king.How to play Tic-Tac-ToeThe classic game of Xs and Os. Get three in a row before the computer does.How to play Four in a RowDrop discs into a grid and line up four before the computer does.How to play HangmanGuess the hidden word one letter at a time before the drawing is complete.How to play Equation ScrambleThe tiles of a true equation are mixed up. Put them back so it is true again.How to play Daily Chess PuzzleFind the move that forces checkmate in two. A new puzzle every day.How to play Wild ChessChess with a shuffled back rank: a random army for both sides and no castling.How to play Quiz RelayTrivia for 2 to 6 friends on one device. Take turns, and steal the question when someone misses.How to play Daily RiddleOne new riddle every day. Guess the answer, use a hint, or give up and see it.How to play Word ClearoutTrace words through a grid of letters to clear it. The letters above drop down as you go.How to play Word StripsSlide the letter strips so the row spells words, and use up every letter.How to play Shade SortThe tiles of a smooth colour gradient are mixed up. Swap them until the colours flow again.How to play WhodunitUse the clue rows to work out who did each case. Only one answer fits.How to play Reading Speed TestRead a short story at your normal pace and see your words per minute.How to play BoltFour tiny puzzles a day: a word, a number, a logic grid and a trivia question.How to play ChainThe daily word puzzle: turn one word into another, changing a single letter at a time.How to play Dots and BoxesDraw lines between dots. Close a box to claim it and go again. Most boxes wins.How to play Snakes and LaddersThe family dice game. Race to square 100, climbing ladders and sliding down snakes.How to play Spider SolitaireA solitaire with two packs of cards. Build runs from king to ace in one suit to clear the table.How to play WhistThe classic trick-taking card game for four. You and North are partners against West and East.How to play PinochleTwo-handed Pinochle: win tricks, declare melds for bonus points, and draw from the pile.How to play RummyThe popular 13-card rummy. Make sequences and sets, use jokers, and declare before the computer does.