Factors Game
Factors Game is a small arithmetic puzzle with a simple goal: turn your number into 1. You move it down a four-by-four grid of tiles numbered 1 to 16, one row at a time. Landing on a factor divides your number, and landing on anything else adds the tile to it.
There are 256 levels, and your starting number always matches the level you are on, so later boards ask for bigger numbers and more planning. Michael P. Nitowski made it, and it works with arrow keys, a mouse or swipes on a phone, with nothing to install.
How to play Factors Game
Your number sits in a colored box above the top row. Slide it left or right to choose a column, then drop it into the row below. If that tile divides your number with no remainder, your number becomes the answer. If it does not, the tile value gets added instead.
With four rows, a level gives you four moves at most. Reach 1 at any point and the level stops right away. You then get a grade: ACE for exactly 1, LOW for a final number under 10 and High for anything larger.
The number at the top of the board is your average final result across every level you have finished, so lower is better. Clearing a level unlocks the next, and the level select screen lets you revisit any unlocked board to improve on it.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift your number sideways | Left/Right arrows, A/D or H/L | Drag left or right | Swipe left or right |
| Drop one row | Down arrow, S or J | Drag down | Swipe down |
| Restart the level (or level select before moving) | Up arrow, W or K | Drag up | Swipe up |
| After a result: retry, next or level select | Left, Right or Up | Click RETRY or NEXT | Tap RETRY or NEXT |
| Level select during play | — | Click [Select], top right | Tap [Select], top right |
Tips
- Work backward from the bottom row. Find a tile there that could finish you off, then figure out which numbers above can set it up.
- Use the 1 tile when no other choice helps. Dividing by 1 changes nothing, so it lets you pass a row without making things worse.
- Adding can be a smart move. Going from 7 to 12 with a 5 tile gives you a number with lots of factors for the rows below.
- Since restarting is free, try a few routes on hard levels before you accept a High grade.
- Go back to old levels that ended above 1. Your average uses your best finish on each board, so every new ACE pulls your score down.
If you like Factors Game, try these
Math Sprint GameFast arithmetic under a timer: judge each sum true or false, and mistakes add time.
Math Cage GridNumber sense becomes logic here, filling cages so the digits hit each target sum or product.
Questions
How do you get an ACE in Factors Game?
Finish a level with your number equal to exactly 1. Usually that means dividing down to a small number and then landing on a tile equal to it.
Does Factors Game save progress?
Yes. Unlocked levels and your best result on each one are stored in your browser, so you can come back later on the same device and keep going.
Is the board the same each time I retry?
Yes. Each level has a fixed tile layout, so a retry shows the same grid and you can plan a better path.
More like this: all casual games · Math games · every game A–Z
