How to play Zero
Zero is a daily reverse countdown puzzle. Every day you get a starting number and a small set of math tools. Use every tool exactly once, in any order, to land on 0.
The rules
- Every puzzle uses each tool exactly once.
- Tools can be addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.
- You must land on 0 — no overshoot, no remainder.
- Your timer starts on the first tap and stops the moment you hit 0.
- Tapping undo adds a small penalty, so plan the order before you commit.
Zero's moods
Zero is the little character at the top of the puzzle. Watch the face — it's a hint about how the run is going.
- Calm — the number is in range, you're on track.
- Excited — you've shrunk the number quickly. Stay sharp.
- Surprised — a multiply or add just made things bigger. Adjust the order.
- Triumphant — you've landed on 0. Time stops.
Strategy
- Solve before you tap. Glance at the operators and work out a path mentally. The clock only starts on your first move.
- Multiplication and division first. They reshape the number the most. Use them while the value is still flexible.
- Save your biggest subtraction for last. If you can engineer the number into something the final subtract can erase, you win cleanly.
- Watch divisibility. A ÷3 only works on a multiple of 3. Sometimes a +N earlier is the unlock.
- Undo costs time. Plan two moves ahead instead of trying tools at random.
Daily play
A new puzzle drops every day. Signed-in players record times, compete on the leaderboards, and unlock the archive of past puzzles. Anonymous players get unlimited practice puzzles with no timer pressure.