How to play Math Race
- Pick a level: ➕ Up to 10, ➕➖ Up to 20, ✖️ Times tables or 🔥 Mix. The game remembers it for next time.
- With friends, each player gets half (or a corner) of the screen, turned to face them. Against the computer, the whole answer pad is yours.
- Everyone sees the same sum, like 7 + 5. The first player to tap the right answer wins the point.
- Tap a wrong answer and your buttons lock for one second. You never lose points.
- If nobody gets it in time, the answer is shown and a new sum appears. First to 7 points wins.
Strategy tips
- Learn your number bonds to 10 (3 + 7, 4 + 6…): then 8 + 5 is just 8 + 2 + 3.
- Check the last digit: 6 × 7 must end in 2, so it's 42, not 48.
- Times-table tricks: the digits of a ×9 answer add up to 9 (9 × 6 = 54), and ×5 answers end in 0 or 5.
- For take-aways, count up: 15 − 8 is "8 to 10 is 2, then 5 more", so 7.
- Parents: pick a level where your child beats Rookie Robo most of the time. Confidence first, speed follows.
Three ways to play
Solo: 60-second sprint — a fresh challenge every day, the same for everyone. vs Computer: four characters from Rookie Robo (easy) to Grandmaster Owl (expert); beat each one to earn its star. vs Friend: share one screen (up to 4 players) — perfect on a tablet.
Variants
Four skill levels: ➕ Up to 10 (ages 5–6) is adding with answers up to 10. ➕➖ Up to 20 (ages 7–8) mixes adding and taking away. ✖️ Times tables (ages 8+) covers the 2 to 10 times tables. 🔥 Mix (ages 9+) adds two-digit sums plus times and divide facts up to 12 × 12, always with whole-number answers and never below zero. The computer characters slow down on harder levels and harder sums, just like people do. Solo is a daily 60-second sprint where a wrong answer costs 2 seconds; each level has its own daily, the same for everyone.
About Math Race
Math Race is a PlayTrova original: a twist on the classic classroom mental-maths race, where two pupils stand up and the first to shout the answer wins. Here nobody has to shout — everyone gets their own buttons, so quieter children get a fair go too. The wrong answers are the slips children really make, like being one out, forgetting to carry a ten or mixing up + and ×, so every race is gentle practice in checking your answer.
FAQ
What age is Math Race for?
About 5 to adult. Up to 10 suits ages 5–6, Up to 20 ages 7–8, Times tables ages 8 and up, and Mix challenges older children and grown-ups.
How many people can play?
Two to four on one phone or tablet, each with their own buttons, or one player against the computer or the daily sprint.
Is the computer too fast for young children?
No. Rookie Robo is slow and sometimes taps a wrong answer, so a 6-year-old can win. Grandmaster Owl will test a speedy grown-up.
Can I play with a keyboard?
Yes. Press 1, 2, 3 or 4 to answer. When two players share a keyboard, the second player uses 7, 8, 9 and 0.