Numbers game solver

A numbers game solver is a computer program that solves the Countdown numbers games. Unlike the difficulties posed by the letters a numbers game is theoretically perfectly solvable. Many of these solvers claim to solve every game perfectly, but do not always offer any proof. Numbers game solvers are very useful for online Countdown games played by MSN Messenger if none of the observers can solve the game. According to Le compte est-il juste?, 97% of "classic games" are solvable, though this article's figure appears to be in error as the true figure is closer to 91.2%.

Some of these solvers can also generate and/or offer to solutions to "non-traditional" games. These can include:

• Selections that include the same number several times, e.g. 7,7,7,7,7,7 for a target of 777.
• Available numbers that do not appear on Countdown, like 150 and 200.
• Targets outside the standard 101-999 range.

Online numbers game solvers

• Crossword tools – one of the first and most reliable online solvers (server-side)
• Robovord by John Rowland (Java)
• Countdown Numbers Problem by Andrew Donald (Java)
• Countdown Numbers Game – a facility for practising numbers games as well as finding solutions (Flash)
• Anagram Solver - Anagram Solver And Scrabble Word Finder
• Quantum Tombola – developed by Graeme Cole, this is widely considered the best numbers solver available.

• Mobile version of the above.

Downloadable numbers game solvers

• Le compte est-il juste? (Windows; in French)
• Countdown Number Solver by Stewart Gordon (Windows GUI; source distribution includes cross-platform command line version)

See also

• Anagram solver