Best –
How to play
Goal
Fill the grid so every row and every column holds each number once (1 to 4 on a 4×4 grid, 1 to 6 on 6×6), and every outlined cage hits its target.
Reading a cage
- Each cage has a target and a sign in its corner. The numbers inside the cage must make that target with that sign.
- 12×: the numbers multiply to 12. 7+: they add up to 7.
- 2− and 3÷ cages always have two squares: subtract or divide the smaller from the larger, in either order.
- A cage with just a number and no sign is a single square: write that number in.
- A number may repeat inside a cage, as long as it doesn't repeat in a row or column.
How it works
- Tap a square, then tap a number. ⌫ clears it.
- A number that repeats in its row or column turns red.
- Every puzzle has exactly one solution.
Tips
- Fill single-square cages first. They're free.
- Think of the few ways to make a cage. On 4×4, “3÷” can only be 1 and 3; “12×” over two squares can only be 3 and 4.
- When a row has only one gap left, the missing number is the one not yet used.
The history of Cages
Japanese maths teacher Tetsuya Miyamoto invented this kind of puzzle in 2004 to help his students practise arithmetic and logic together. It is now known around the world by several names.