Use every card once. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division only.
24 game rules and solver guide
The 24 game is a four-card arithmetic puzzle. Standard play uses a 40-card deck containing Ace through 10, with Ace worth 1. Use all four dealt cards exactly once with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and parentheses to make exactly 24.
Solvable Random mode shuffles by a visible deal number and filters out impossible hands. A matching deal number always reproduces the same four physical cards, while New Puzzle creates a fresh challenge.
The standard deck has 40 cards from Ace through 10. Ace is 1; face cards and jokers are not used.
All four dealt card instances must be used exactly once, even when two cards show the same number.
Only addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and parentheses are allowed. No concatenation, powers, roots, or factorials.
Intermediate fractions are legal. The classic 3, 3, 8, 8 puzzle depends on thirds.
The final value must equal 24 exactly. The engine uses reduced integer fractions rather than rounded floating-point values.
New Puzzle creates a fresh solvable deal. Daily Puzzle derives one reproducible challenge from the local calendar date.
Look for 3×8, 4×6, or 2×12 and try to make each factor from part of the hand.
When multiplication is awkward, see whether three cards make 25 and the last helps make 1.
Division can create 1/2, 1/3, or 1/4, and dividing by that fraction can enlarge another number.
Subtraction and division are directional, so confirm which selected card is on the left.
A stable deal number lets you undo and compare alternative solution branches.
Traditional standard play normally uses Ace through 10. Treating face cards as 11, 12, and 13 is a variant, not this site's default.
Yes. Fractions may appear between steps as long as the final result is exactly 24.
Yes. Every dealt card must be used exactly once.
No. Some unrestricted four-card hands are impossible, so this site's default random mode filters for solvable hands.
The number is a reproducible random seed for retrying, testing, and sharing the same puzzle.
No. Standard mode permits only the four basic arithmetic operations and parentheses.
Rules reviewed: