6 free algebra games to try online

Maths is essentially all just one big puzzle book anyway, so why not have some fun?

- by Teachwire

Remember the good old days? Remember sitting silently in a classroom with a list of equations as long long as your arm? Remember the stern teacher looming over you waiting to bark at the first person to mix up their x and their y? Those were the days.
OK, so perhaps those memories are a little bit on the nostalgic, rose-tinted side of things. It’s safe to say that education back then, while no means Dickensian, wasn’t quite as it is now.
Today there are loads of ways to try new maths concepts, and online games are naturally one of the most fun. So here’s a small selection that your KS3 class might enjoy.
1 | Who Wants to be a Hundredaire

This game is based off the television quiz show (is it still going? It can’t be, can it?). It involves answering square root questions to work your way up to the top prize of $100, which apparently you don’t actually win no matter how many times you email the company to demand it.
Take your turn on the game show here.
2 | Algebra Noodle

Board-game enthusiasts will dig this little gem. Move your pieces around the board faster than the CPU player, and knock them back spaces by landing on their piece. All by correctly answering algebra questions.
Roll 6 to start here.
3 | Model Algebra

This mental maths game helps pupils to practise solving visual equations where letters stand for numbers. First model the equation, then make zero pairs, then solve for X.
4 | Number Patterns

This fun game helps Year 6 pupils sharpen their numeracy skills. They have to generate ordered pairs based on a given rule and also identify a pattern from a list of ordered pairs. This will stand children in good stead when it comes to solving more complex number problems in secondary school.
5 | Otter Rush

A romp of otters (yes, that is the collective noun) is racing down the river. Pupils need to practise exponents by choosing the correct answer to power their otter over land and sea.
How quickly they answer will determine how fast their otter will go. Otterly adorable.
6 | Linear Function with Intercepts
On this page, students need to interpret a word problem to find the related linear equation with an intercept. The answers are multiple choice.