How to Play Number Matching Games: Rules and Examples

Number matching games are simple to learn. This guide uses Pairoma to show how to play number matching games from the first tap.

The rule: tap two tiles to clear them if they are equal, or if they add up to exactly 10. That is the whole game. Everything else is about choosing which pairs to clear, and when.

Pairoma is played on an 8×10 grid of numbered tiles. Tiles rise and stack from the bottom. Your goal is to clear pairs before the stack reaches the top.

Every tile is visible. Nothing is hidden and nothing depends on memory, so this is a logic puzzle rather than a memory game.

Here are the kinds of pairs you can clear.

• Equal pair: 8 and 8. The numbers match, so they clear.
• Sum to 10: 7 and 3. They add up to 10, so they clear.
• Equal and sum to 10: 5 and 5. They are equal and they also sum to 10.
• Sum to 10: 6 and 4, or 9 and 1, or 2 and 8.
• Not a pair: 6 and 5. They are not equal and they sum to 11, so they do not clear.

A quick way to read the board is to look at each tile and ask what its partners are. A 3 pairs with another 3 or with a 7. A 10 pairs with another 10. A 1 pairs with another 1 or with a 9, when the board includes those tiles.

Pairoma has two main modes.

Classic is untimed. It is the relaxed way to play, with no clock, so you can think as long as you like.

Advanced uses tiles from 1 to 10, matched by the same sum-to-10 rule. With a 10 on the board, a 10 pairs with another 10 as an equal pair.

Pick Classic if you want a calm session, and try Advanced when you want more variety on the board.

Three power-ups are there when you get stuck:

• Shuffle: rearranges the tiles so new pairs become available.
• Hint: points you to a pair you can clear.
• Clear Row: clears a row from the board.

Power-ups are tools, not penalties. Use them to get unstuck, then carry on.

The Daily Challenge is one board a day. It keeps a streak, and when you finish you can share a Wordle-style card that shows how it went without revealing the board. Daily Challenges need a connection once, to load that day's board. Everything else works offline.

Here is how a first minute might go. You open Pairoma and choose Classic. The grid shows rows of numbers, with tiles rising from the bottom. You spot two 8s side by side and tap them: they clear. You see a 7 and a 3 and tap those: they clear too. You notice a 5 and another 5, tap them and they also clear.

Then you slow down. A 9 sits with no 9 or 1 nearby. Instead of rushing, you read the board again, find a 1 elsewhere on the board and clear the pair. By the end of the minute you have cleared a handful of pairs and you know how the rule feels.

What decides whether two tiles clear? Only the numbers: they must be equal, or sum to exactly 10.

Is it timed? Classic is untimed, so you can take as long as you like.

Can I play offline? Yes. Every mode works without a connection. Only the Daily Challenge needs one, once, to load that day's board.

Do I need an account? No.

This kind of puzzle goes by several names, including Take Ten, Make Ten and Ten Pair. If you are curious how they relate, read Take Ten, Make Ten, Ten Pair: what's the difference?

Some matching games hide their tiles and ask you to remember where things are. Pairoma does the opposite. Every tile is visible, so the challenge is reading the board and choosing well. If you like puzzles where you can always see everything you need, that is a good sign you will enjoy this one.

That also makes it easy to pause and come back. Nothing is lost if you set the game down and return later, because the information is all on the screen.

Once you know the rules, the fun is in the decisions. Our number matching puzzle strategy guide has nine tips for clearing the board. Pairoma is in Android closed testing now, and iOS is planned with no date announced. Join from the home page.