Cagey

Cagey is a free daily number puzzle in the KenKen and Calcudoku tradition. The grid is split into outlined regions called cages, and each cage shows a target number and an arithmetic operation you have to satisfy. Your job is to fill every cell so the numbers in each cage combine to reach its target.

What is Cagey?

Cagey is an arithmetic logic puzzle rather than a guessing game. Each cage carries a target value and one of four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. You place numbers in the cells so that the values inside a cage combine through that operation to produce the target. The page states the rule plainly: fill each cage so the numbers combine with plus, minus, times, or divide to hit the target. There is no hidden answer to uncover, only a solvable configuration to work out.

The difficulty tiers change how strict the rules are. On Easy you just fill the cages, so you focus purely on the cage math. Medium adds the rule that numbers cannot repeat in each row. Hard and Expert go further and forbid repeats in both rows and columns, so a value that satisfies a cage might still be blocked by what sits elsewhere on the same line. Alongside the tiers, the site offers several modes named Classic, Challenge, Daily, Tight, Loose, and Flood.

This is one way Cagey differs from the many Wordle-style games in the directory. Instead of spending a limited number of guesses to reveal a secret word, you work a puzzle that has a definite solution. You enter numbers, undo them, and rework a region as many times as you need. A hint button is available in limited supply for when a cage stalls you, and an undo button keeps experimentation cheap.

The daily framing wraps around all of this. A fresh puzzle appears each day, a streak counter tracks how many consecutive days you have played, and a timer measures each solve. You can share your result and save it to a leaderboard for comparing times. The game is offered in several languages beyond English, including Korean, Japanese, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. No creator name or launch date is stated on the live page, so the people behind it are not publicly credited there.

How to play Cagey

1. Open Cagey at playcagey.com and let it load the daily puzzle in your language.
2. Pick a difficulty tier such as Easy, Medium, Hard, or Expert, or choose one of the modes.
3. Read each cage's target number and operation before you place any numbers.
4. Fill cells so the numbers in every cage combine through its operation to reach the target.
5. Respect the row and column rules on the higher tiers, using undo to rework any cell that creates a conflict.
6. Complete the whole grid to finish the puzzle, and use a hint if a cage leaves you stuck.

Tips and strategy

• Start with the cages that have the fewest possible number combinations, then use those to constrain the cages touching them.
• For subtraction and division cages, remember the target can come from either order of the two values, so keep both possibilities open until other clues narrow it down.
• On multiplication cages, factor the target into the small numbers the grid allows and cross off combinations that break a row or column rule.
• On Hard and Expert, treat rows and columns like a Sudoku line: a value that fits the cage math may still be illegal because of what sits elsewhere on that line.
• Use the undo button freely, since you can rework a region as often as you need.
• Save your limited hints for a cage that truly blocks progress rather than one you can reason through, and watch the timer if you care about the leaderboard.

Good to know

Category

Math logic puzzle (KenKen / Calcudoku style)

Resets

New puzzle daily, with a streak counter

Cost

Free to play

Attempts

Rework freely with undo; hints limited (3 shown)

Modes

Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert tiers plus modes named Classic, Challenge, Daily, Tight, Loose, Flood

Feedback

Timer, streak counter, shareable result, leaderboard

Languages

English, Korean, Japanese, German, Spanish, Portuguese

Platform

Browser, no download

Cagey FAQ

Is Cagey free?

Yes. Cagey is free to play in the browser at playcagey.com with no download required.

How do you play Cagey?

You fill a grid divided into cages. Each cage has a target number and an operation (add, subtract, multiply, or divide), and you place numbers so each cage's values combine to hit its target. Higher difficulties also forbid repeating numbers within a row, or within both rows and columns.

When does Cagey reset?

A new puzzle is available each day, and a streak counter tracks how many consecutive days you have played.

Is Cagey like Wordle?

Not really. Wordle asks you to guess a hidden word in a limited number of tries. Cagey is a solvable arithmetic puzzle with a definite solution and an undo button, closer to KenKen or Calcudoku than to a guessing game.

Who made Cagey?

The live site does not credit a creator, developer, or company, so the author is not publicly stated there.