🧩 Push & Solve
Pop the right block and let the ball roll.
How to play
- Pick a workshop and a tier, then click Start Puzzling.
- The ball rolls until a block stops it, then an equation with a missing number appears.
- Three blocks light up with numbers. Tap the one that fills in the ?, or use the buttons or keys 1-3.
- The right block pops out and the ball rolls on to the next shelf.
- A wrong block just wobbles and stays put. Try again, nothing is lost but the streak.
- Land the ball in the ⭐ goal cup to clear the level and earn bonus 💎 gems.
A rolling-ball puzzle built on missing-number equations
Push & Solve is a free puzzle game where every move is an equation. A shiny ball sits on a stack of zig-zag shelves, held back at the end of each shelf by a solid block. When the ball comes to rest, an equation with a missing number appears, like ? + 4 = 9 or 6 × ? = 42, and three blocks on the board light up with numbers. Tap the block that fills in the missing number and it pops out of the way, the ball rolls down the shelf, drops to the next one, and settles against the next block. Clear every shelf and the ball lands in the golden goal cup.
The ball really rolls: it speeds up down each slope, bounces a little when it drops, and spins as it goes, thanks to a small physics engine running in the page. Every level is generated fresh with shelves that alternate direction, and decoy crates stand at the far ends of the shelves, so the board looks different every time while always being solvable. A wrong block just wobbles in place and stays put, the equation stays the same, and the player tries again. There is no timer and no game over.
From missing addends to two-step equations
Missing-number equations are one of the first steps toward algebra: they ask what number makes a statement true, rather than just what an operation gives. Tier 1 starts with missing addends within 10, like 3 + ? = 8. Tier 2 moves to subtraction within 20, with the blank in either spot. Tier 3 practices missing factors with the 2, 5, and 10 times tables, and Tier 4 mixes missing factors and missing dividends from the harder tables. Tier 5 introduces two-step equations like 3 × ? + 2 = 14, and the Championship tier adds bigger numbers and subtraction, such as 5 × ? − 7 = 18.
Solved blocks earn gems and every ball in the cup adds a bonus. Gems unlock new workshops: Wood Workshop, Toy Box, Candy Factory, Space Lab, and Crystal Cave. Best streaks are saved per tier. Push & Solve is free, runs in the browser on computers, tablets, and phones, works with mouse, touch, or keyboard, needs no download or account, and saves progress only in your own browser. See the Parents & Safety page for privacy details, or explore the rest of the Math Games hub.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play Push & Solve?
When the ball stops against a block, read the equation at the top. Three blocks show numbers; tap the one that fills in the missing number, or use the answer buttons or keys 1 to 3. The right block pops out and the ball rolls on toward the goal cup.
What happens if I tap the wrong block?
The block just wobbles and stays where it is. The equation stays the same so you can try again. Only your streak resets, and there is no timer.
What math does it teach?
Missing-number equations, an early algebra skill: missing addends, missing numbers in subtraction, missing factors, missing dividends, and two-step equations like 3 × ? + 2 = 14.
What if the ball gets stuck?
Use the Reset Ball button to put the ball back at the start of the level. Blocks you have already popped stay popped.
How do I unlock new workshops?
Every solved block earns gems, and every ball that lands in the goal cup earns bonus gems. Enough gems unlock new workshops, from the Wood Workshop up to the Crystal Cave.