Size Variants: Micro to Maxi#
The core deduction loop stays familiar — guess the equation using green, purple, and black feedback — while the board width changes the puzzle space:
Micro Nerdle
5 charactersEasiestThe smallest board in the Nerdleverse. Equations like 8-5=3 make it a gentle on-ramp for kids or a 30-second coffee-break puzzle.
Mini Nerdle
6 charactersEasyOne step up: equations like 10+9=19 don't fit, but 15-7=8 does. Fewer slots means fewer possibilities and quicker solves.
Midi Nerdle
7 charactersEasy–standardThe bridge between Mini and Classic. Its 7-character calculations add room for more structure without jumping straight to the full 8-character board.
Classic Nerdle
8 charactersStandardThe original daily game. This is the format behind NerdleBuddy's 17,723-form model, solver, strategy guide, and puzzles.
Maxi Nerdle
10 charactersHardThe long-form challenge. The wider board also introduces extra symbols such as brackets and squared/cubed operators, so order of operations really bites.
Gameplay Variants#
These change the format, pace, or way you play:
Speed Nerdle
Classic rules against the clock. You're given a starting guess, and hesitation costs you — time penalties punish slow or invalid entries.
Instant Nerdle
One guess, no warm-up. The game supplies starting clues and you deduce the completed calculation before submitting your only attempt.
Pro Nerdle
The sandbox: build your own Nerdle with extra maths symbols and share it as a challenge link for friends to solve.
Instant’s current rules are described on the official Instant Nerdle page.
Multi-Grid & Puzzle Variants#
Bi, Quad & Octo Nerdle
Solve two, four, or eight grids with shared guesses. The lineup also includes Mini Bi for a shorter two-grid challenge.
Cross Nerdle & 2D Nerdle
Grid-based calculation puzzles that extend the equation idea across rows and columns rather than a single horizontal board.
Shuffle, Targets & Nanagrams
Other puzzles in the wider Nerdleverse, from rearranging tiles to building calculations that hit target numbers.
Which Variant Should You Play?#
- Brand new to Nerdle? Learn the rules with our how-to-play guide, then warm up on Mini before moving to Classic.
- Playing with kids? Micro and Mini keep the arithmetic friendly while teaching the deduction loop. Teachers: we wrote a whole classroom guide.
- Chasing lower guess counts on Classic? That’s our speciality — the strategy guide covers data-backed openers, and the solver ranks the next guesses from your feedback.
- Short on time? Instant is one guess; Micro takes a minute. Speed turns the daily into a race.
- Want unlimited practice? Many official modes are daily, while the official site also offers archive and custom formats. On NerdleBuddy, replay any date from our archive or grab a random puzzle with hints, any time.
Frequently Asked Questions#
How many Nerdle games are there?
The official site currently offers more than 20 free maths and number games. The lineup includes daily puzzles, size variants, multi-grid challenges, archives, and custom or replayable formats, so '20+ games' does not mean every game is a separate daily puzzle.
What is Mini Nerdle?
Mini Nerdle is the 6-character version of Nerdle. The rules are identical to Classic — guess the equation in 6 tries with green, purple, and black feedback — but shorter equations make it noticeably easier.
What is the hardest Nerdle variant?
Among the equation-length variants, Maxi is designed as the largest challenge: its 10-character calculations can include brackets and squared or cubed operators. Difficulty across different game formats is subjective, so there is no single objectively hardest Nerdle game.
What is Instant Nerdle?
Instant Nerdle gives you one attempt and supplies clues on the board. You deduce the completed calculation before submitting that attempt.
Can you play more than one Nerdle per day?
Yes. You can play several official games, use supported archive, replay, or custom formats, and practise unlimited original puzzles with hints on NerdleBuddy. Availability varies by game rather than every variant following one daily-only format.
Start with Classic Nerdle
Many variants build on the 8-character original. Sharpen your fundamentals with unlimited practice and real-time hints.