The best games that challenge and promote math skills 🧮 2025

Lost Cities is a two-player card game focused on building profitable archaeological expeditions. Part of the Kosmos two-player series, it features a deck with cards ranked 2–10 in various colors, including a new sixth color added in 2019. The game also employs "handshake" cards as multipliers for scoring.

Qwixx is a fast-paced and engaging dice game that involves all players actively, regardless of whose turn it is. It combines simple mechanics with a need for strategic decision-making, making it a fun and interactive game for all involved.

Skyjo is a card game where each player starts with 12 cards, aiming to have the lowest score by the game's end. Two of these cards are visible to the player, while the rest are faced down. On their turn, players can draw a card from either the discard or draw pile to replace one of their cards, with the goal of minimizing the sum of their card values. The game progresses until a player has all their cards turned face up, triggering the end of the round where everyone reveals their cards and tallies their scores. The unique twist comes with a special rule that allows players to discard an entire column of cards if they all share the same value, potentially turning the tide of the game.

Turing Machine is a competitive deduction game that presents a unique and intriguing challenge. Inspired by the pioneering work of Alan Turing, the game revolves around the concept of deducing a secret code using an analog proto-computer, a device that operates without electricity or modern technology. This innovative approach sets the stage for a new kind of deduction game experience.

Coyote is a simple bluffing game set in a Western environment. Each player receives a card tied to their forehead that shows a number of hidden Indians or a special value, which they cannot see but everyone else can. The goal is to guess the number of Indians displayed on the cards, with increasing numbers declared each round. Special cards add surprises to each round, and players must remember they never know which card is on their forehead.

Schlingo Bingo combines markers, score sheets, and a set of forty numbered cards or tiles. Players must fill their score sheets with drawn numbers and aim to arrange them in non-decreasing order for points. The longer the sequence of ascending numbers, the higher the score, and the player with the highest total wins after all pieces have been drawn.

Taverns, motivated merchants, and magical items are all you need to become the richest merchant. Choose wisely between the Howling Owl Tavern, where paladins and mages compete with wealthy traders, and the Black Cat Tavern, home to treacherous rogues and cunning wizards.

Qwixx Longo is a fast-paced dice game where everyone participates, regardless of whose turn it is. Players mark numbers on their score sheets using two white dice and colored dice, aiming to mark as many numbers as possible in sequential order. The game ends when a player marks four penalty boxes or a second color is locked, and the player with the highest score wins.

Are you afraid of ghosts, or do you face the danger and scare your opponents? It is a fast-paced card management game centered around ghost hunting.

Tonight marks the start of the secret mission "Amun Re." A team of four cunning secret agents breaks into the museum, using their precise calculations to crack the tricky security codes. Players must manipulate the numbers on the dice to match the code numbers and be the first to overcome all light barriers to reach the precious mask of Amun Re.

A large fortress looms in the distance, and it must be yours! Accept the challenge to conquer the fortress and outsmart your friends to become the dominant ruler of the kingdom. Players start a Fast Forward game without reading the rulebook beforehand, discovering the rules as they play through a pre-sorted deck of cards. It takes twelve games to fully explore the system, after which it can be reset for the same or different groups.

The car rally is in full swing, and you are part of the action! Only those who calculate well and strategically play their cards will emerge as the ultimate winner.

It's a fast-paced card game where players aim to get rid of their cards quickly, but they can only play specific cards. Each card has a large number (1-10) and a smaller corner number indicating how much higher or lower the next card can be. Players take turns placing a card on the central pile based on these rules, and the first to play all their cards wins.

Roles rotate and tension rises as players aim for a new high score. The goal is to score more points than your opponents, but in Fatal, high numbers alone won't secure victory—bonus points are essential.

Roll like in ancient Rome and try to form the highest possible Roman numerals from your results. However, be cautious; rolling for the highest value may not result in a valid numeral. Players have six action cards to help change outcomes, but they must strategically decide when to use them, as unused cards grant bonus points at the end of the game. The game ends when a player fills their score sheet column with seven numbers, and the player with the most points wins.

Each player has a game board covered with numbered tiles. Players take turns rolling two dice. The player who did not roll must flip over game pieces on their board that match the rolled value. Bonuses and penalties apply for certain dice combinations and failing to claim available bonuses. The game ends when a player has flipped all their pieces, and it's recommended to play two rounds where the player with the lowest score wins.

Players have five colored pieces numbered from 1 to 5. A player rolls the dice and must move pieces that equal the total rolled, placing them on the next available spot on the board. The game ends when the last three marked spaces are filled, and players score points by multiplying the piece number by the number on the occupied space.

Talo is a game for children and families that features many wooden pieces for building. The goal is to be the first player to reach the top. Co-designer Johann Rüttinger notes that it is a great way to learn math without even realizing it.

Players compete in a deck-building game to create a number of available elements for points. Each player starts with a small deck made up of proton, neutron, and electron cards, using them to build their current atom or acquire more powerful cards for later use. The game introduces a unique variation of card set building with a precise chemistry theme, allowing for various strategies to achieve the ultimate goal of scoring points by constructing elements.

Sumoku is a crossword-style game featuring colored number tiles that can be played in five different ways. Each game starts by rolling a die to form a "key number," either 3, 4, or 5, with players arranging tiles so that their totals are multiples of this key number. Players draw tiles to create valid rows or columns, and the game ends when no further moves can be made, with the highest score winning. Additional variations include "Speed Sumoku," "Team Sumoku," "Spot Sumoku," and "Solo-Sumoku," each with unique gameplay elements.

Players have sheets with four cards numbered from 1 to 19. They play 1, 2, 3, or 4 cards to place a stone on a board made up of 36 numbered squares arranged in a non-obvious order. The goal is to claim four squares in a line, but multiple stones can be placed on a square, and a square is only secure if a player has two more stones there than any other player. If no one forms four in a row within 20 rounds, the game ends and the player with the most points wins.

The quiz game features 2000 questions where speed and teamwork are essential for success. It offers the fun of party games across five categories: Charades, Taboo, Trivia, Lip Reading, and Drawing.

Players take on the role of shoppers, learning to navigate the world of buying goods. Each player receives a shopping list and a limited amount of money, and they move between the house, bank, and stores based on dice rolls. The first to return home with all items from their list wins, while children practice counting, comparing prices, and understanding concepts of money in a fun, engaging way.

Roll a 12-sided target die to determine your target number, then roll five 6-sided target dice. Combine the target dice through addition and/or subtraction to match the target number, moving forward one space on the track for each die used. The first player to reach the finish line wins! Simple rules and chunky, colorful dice ensure fun for all ages and math levels.

At the start, each player receives 10 chips (life points) and 4 cards, which are valued from 1 to 4, with some being special action cards. Players must avoid exceeding totals of 30, 60, or 90, as doing so results in losing 1, 2, or 3 chips respectively. Play a card to add to the total and draw a replacement. The last player with a chip wins.

Players attempt to claim as many scarabs as possible by solving the presented codes. The game setup involves dividing number tiles into four piles based on their scarab count, usually with higher numbers representing more scarabs. During each round, players roll three dice and use arithmetic operations to match the results with numbers on the game tiles, aiming for strategic plays before the time runs out. The game concludes when a row cannot be filled, and players tally their scarabs to determine the winner.

The game includes a lot of small chips in five colors. At the start, two equation cards are randomly drawn, each containing five equations that define color equivalences. Players reveal four goal cards, each showing a combination of five chips they aim to collect, and they can roll a colored die or exchange chips based on the equations to achieve the right combinations while minimizing leftover chips for points.

Take it to the Limit is an expanded version of the original game. The boards are larger, featuring 64 game stones in four colors, divided into "Moon" and "Sun" stones, along with bonus tiles. Players can choose between the challenging "Nexus" board for a longer game or the quicker "Orchid" board for a faster, different experience.

Players begin each round with ten number tiles (0-9) and four task cards, keeping three. These cards present challenges such as having two identical numbers in row 5 or increasing the sum of tiles in a row to over 10. Players take turns placing a tile on an empty space in the 4x6 grid, and the game ends when the board is filled or two players run out of tiles. The player with the most completed tasks after a set number of rounds wins.

Test your reflexes in this action-packed card game! Follow the flipper as it zooms and zips from bumper to bumper. Players use number and color clues to predict where the flipper will jump next and try to be the first to find the correct sequence to win cards. The player with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.