Six popular games you may not realise build important math skills

Throughout history, games have been a fundamental part of human culture. 

In his book Around the World in 80 Games, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy describes well the important role of games and play for learning.

Evolution seems to have gifted humanity a penchant for trying out strategies and exploring imaginary worlds in the safety of a game…

Play is free. It is not real. It has its own location and duration. It is distinct from our ordinary lives and yet it impacts the way we behave outside the game…

In the past, Maths Play has shared playful and powerful number sense games (see here and here) where the “maths” being practised is pretty obvious. But there are whole realms of really important mathematics that aren’t widely understood, celebrated or learned in school. Yet many mathematicians will argue, are some of the most exciting and powerful. 

The good news is that many classic, popular games are rich with many of these elusive maths ideas and skills.

In the spirit of play and playful mathematics, and in time for the end-of-year break, this article highlights the maths in six popular games that are not often seen as maths learning tools, but most certainly are! 

Six deeply mathematical games you might already know and love

Choosing games for a shortlist is never easy. For this article, the shortlist criteria are: 

• it's a game that can be played for a short duration (e.g. 10 -15 minutes) making it easier to fit regular #mathsplay into life
• full of important ideas and skills in mathematics that have long been under-valued and under-represented in systemic models of education 
• they must (of course) be fun to play. And we acknowledge that the presence of fun, is a reason enough alone to do it ;)

#1: Connect 4 (aka Four in a Row)

Recommended for ages 5 and above

Connect 4 is a two-player game that first became popular in the 1970s and continues to be a staple game in many communities. It’s also known as Four in a Row. 

In Connect 4, players plan moves toward the goal of making a line of four discs in a row, while blocking their opponent from achieving the same. Play is on a vertical board which players drop their pieces into.

Connect 4 provides a playful context for developing observation, strategic thinking, spatial awareness and decision-making skills. Its quick setup and simple rules make Connect 4 accessible for children as young as 5 or 6 years old, while the question of how to win challenges children and adults of all ages.

Typically Connect 4 is played on a special, manufactured board. If you are fortunate enough to have access to a Toy Library, they might have it. There are some digital versions of the game you can play too — you can play against the computer here. 

#2: Guess Who 

Recommended for ages 5 and above

Guess Who is a well-loved, two-player game where players use yes-or-no questions in a process of elimination to guess the other player’s character card. The game involves thinking about and using categories and applying probability concepts as players carefully choose the questions that  will narrow down and most efficiently lead to revealing the other player's character.

By requiring players to identify patterns and think logically, Guess Who fosters deductive reasoning skills — an incredibly important and often overlooked maths skill. It’s often used in educational settings to develop logical reasoning, questioning, and deduction skills. 

Typically Guess Who? is played on a special, manufactured board and I sometimes see second-hand copies on sale in local second-hand (thrift) stores. 

#3: Dominoes 

Recommended for ages 6 and above

Dominoes is a classic tile-based game that has been enjoyed across cultures for centuries. It involves matching and laying down rectangular tiles with numbered ends. Players take turns placing tiles on the board, connecting them to existing tiles that show the same number. The aim of the game is to be the first to place all their tiles down or score the most points. 

The game is known for its strategic elements and can be played for fun or with more competitive rules. As well as using counting and addition skills, Dominoes develops strategic thinking and pattern recognition, requiring players to anticipate opponents’ moves while managing their own tiles effectively. 

For instructions on how to play for beginners and a printable set of dominoes, check out this free Maths Play resource.

#4: Mastermind 

Recommended for ages 8 and above

Mastermind is a classic code-breaking game where players have a limited number of attempts to guess the Master’s (a special role for one player) hidden sequence of coloured pegs. Usually there are four pegs, sometimes more. Receiving feedback on correct colours and positions after each guess to help refine their strategy.

This Mastermind game board is a more challenging variation, with five coloured pegs in the hidden sequence.

Players develop mathematical reasoning using logic and pattern recognition to deduce the hidden colour code. Each guess provides feedback that helps players narrow down possibilities, engaging players in probability and combinatorics as they consider different combinations. The game also enhances strategic thinking and problem-solving, as players must use clues efficiently to get to the answer. Indeed, it’s this deep mathematics at work that makes Mastermind so enticing! 

Typically Mastermind is played on a special, manufactured board. You can play against the computer here. And here’s another online tool that you can play with challenging, longer codes of 6 and 8!

#5: Wordle 

Recommended for ages 8 and above 

Wordle is a word-guessing game where players try to identify a hidden five-letter word within six attempts, using colour-coded feedback to guide their guesses. It has a strong Mastermind flavour but involves guessing the correct sequence of five letters rather than a sequence of four colours. 

One could argue that the deeply mathematical nature of Wordle is what makes it so appealing. From probability to combinatorics, each daily puzzle involves patterns and logic that players use to narrow down possible solutions.

Some rounds of Wordle are much shorter than others!

In a process driven by set theory, the player makes strategic guesses that reduce the set of potential words to get to the answer in fewer moves. It also provides scope for optimisation, as players experiment with different letter combinations to determine the most efficient word for their first guess (for instance, some people like using “audio" because it tests a lot of vowels). 

Even if it’s not immediately visible, Wordle is a playground full of mathematical thinking. It's a good thing that the original online game has only one daily puzzle, as it can become quite addictive!

Play Wordle offline: Use a copy of this printable Maths Play Wordle board. Take turns choosing the five-letter word and writing it on a piece of paper that your guessing opponent cannot see. You’ll need a green and orange pencil to give colour-coded feedback.

#6: Boggle 

Recommended for ages 8 and above 

Boggle is a fast-paced word game that combines elements of chance and skill, encouraging players to think quickly and creatively. Each round in Boggle is a set time, typically 3 minutes. During this time, all players are challenged to find as many words as possible of 3 letters or more using the grid of randomly arranged letters. They write down all the words they find on their own paper. Once time is up, players can share what words they found.

Rules for finding words:

• letters must be connected horizontally, vertically or diagonally
• each letter can only be used once for each word
• each word must be at least 3 letters long
  

For players who wish to play more competitively, arithmetic comes into play when scoring where the player with the highest score wins. Here's how you might score:

• any words found by more than one player are crossed out and do not score points
• points are awarded for remaining words based on their length: 1 point for 3- and 4-letter words, 2 points for 5-letter words,  3 points for 6-letter words, 5 points for 7-letter words and 11 points for words with 8 letters or more.

Boggle is a game that fosters pattern recognition and spatial awareness as players mentally search for hidden combinations. It encourages the kind of thinking required in combinatorics, as players calculate potential letter arrangements and maximise word possibilities within the set time. This process not only exercises and builds vocabulary and spelling knowledge, it builds cognitive flexibility and a sharp ability to recognise sequences and patterns—skills at the heart of mathematics. 

Typically Boggle is played on a special, manufactured board.

Many reasons to play

These six popular games each come with their own unique set of challenges and rewards. They are also what educators often describe as ‘low floor, high ceiling’ which refers to games that are easy to learn and start playing (the "low floor") but offer deep opportunities for developing the powers of logic and reasoning as players explore, experiment with improve their play strategies (the "high ceiling").  

In other words, they are accessible for beginners while still engaging and challenging for experienced players, making them perfect for fostering learning through play.  They offer powerful play among children as well as intergenerational learning-through-play opportunities.

While classic games can be used to develop strategic thinkers, deductive reasoners, and creative problem solvers, perhaps the biggest gifts these games provide are the space to create special play memories together, strengthen family and community connections, and celebrate both games and mathematics as a beautiful and fundamental part of our shared human culture.