Move 1 Stick — Fix the Equation | Free Matchstick Math Puzzles

Rules & Mechanics

How Move 1 Stick Puzzles Work

Every puzzle generates a unique broken mathematical statement. Your goal is to move exactly one stick to make the equation true:

Move Exactly 1 Stick: Pick up any single active matchstick across the operands or operators and drop it into an unoccupied segment.
Auto-Return on Invalid Move: If you place the stick in an incorrect position, it automatically returns to its previous valid position so you can continue immediately.
Bigger boards, longer equations: Higher levels chain several numbers (e.g. 48 + 305 − 27 = 96 + 230) and wrap onto extra rows.
Moves Counter: Tracks each attempted placement for that level and contributes to your statistical rank score.
60-Second Challenge: Can you solve the puzzle within 60 seconds? If you exceed 60s, the timer shifts into overtime mode, allowing you to solve at your own pace without failing!

Cheat Sheet

The Canonical 7-Segment Matchstick Matrix

Each digit in the game follows standard digital clock segment conventions:

Digit	Total Sticks	Add 1 Stick (+1)	Remove 1 Stick (−1)	Shift 1 Stick (Internal)
0	6	Becomes 8	—	Becomes 6 or 9
1	2	Becomes 7	—	—
2	5	—	—	Becomes 3
3	5	Becomes 9	—	Becomes 2 or 5
4	4	—	Becomes 1 (−2)	—
5	5	Becomes 6 or 9	—	Becomes 3
6	6	Becomes 8	Becomes 5	Becomes 0 or 9
7	3	—	Becomes 1	—
8	7	—	Becomes 0, 6, or 9	—
9	6	Becomes 8	Becomes 3 or 5	Becomes 0 or 6

Mental Shortcuts

5 Pro Tips to Solve Matchstick Equations

01

The "Number 8" Donor Strategy

The number 8 holds 7 matches. Taking one stick turns it into 0, 6, or 9, freeing a matchstick to donate to another digit.

02

Borrow from the Plus Sign

A plus sign (+) has 2 sticks. Take its vertical match to turn it into a minus (−), freeing a matchstick for your numbers.

03

Internal Moves

Check if moving a single stick inside the same number (e.g. 6 to 9 or 2 to 3) balances the sum without moving sticks across terms.

04

Inspect the Units Digit

Add the last digits of the two terms modulo 10. If they don't match the result's last digit, at least one number must change.

05

Turn Minus into Plus

If your subtraction total is too low, donate a stick from an 8 or 9 to turn a minus (−) into a plus (+).

Help & FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when the 60s timer reaches 00:00?

The puzzle continues uninterrupted! The timer shifts into overtime (starting at 61s) and counts additional time with the caption encouraging you so you can solve without pressure.

How does the +2% progressive difficulty work?

Each level has a difficulty rating that rises at least 2.5% per level, and every puzzle is measured inside a tight band above that rating, so any puzzle of level N+1 is at least ~2% harder than any puzzle of level N. Difficulty is measured from seven factors: search-space size, tempting wrong moves (distractors), solution uniqueness, reasoning depth, look-alike digits, near-miss deception and arithmetic magnitude. Around Level 265 the board reaches its maximum playable size; beyond that the rating continues on paper while the game serves the hardest boards.

Can I move matchsticks across the equals sign (=)?

Yes! You can take a stick from the left-hand operands and place it into the answer on the right-hand side, or vice versa.

Are game levels infinite?

Yes! Levels are procedurally calculated using the deterministic Mulberry32 PRNG algorithm. You can play consecutively or jump to any level number up to JavaScript's safe integer limit (9,007,199,254,740,991) with zero server lag.

Is my game progress saved if I close my browser?

Yes. All game state, including your current level, highest level unlocked, cumulative score, hints remaining, win streak, audio settings, and theme preferences are saved securely in your browser's localStorage.