Thrift Treasure: Twenty Four

I am guilty of sometimes overpaying for a game. There’s no consistent reasoning behind it, sometimes a design or theme just speaks to me. Case in point is this week’s Thrift Treasure. I wouldn’t normally pay $3 for a used card game. Especially one not very highly rated on BoardGameGeek. But the artwork style reminded me of the Cold War era posters in our school (like hiding under a desk would save us from the Russians). Or maybe the similarity to a TV test pattern when it would go off the air. Either way, Twenty Four ended up in our basket.

Twenty Four isn’t a particularly difficult game to learn or play. In fact, it is more of a math exercise disguised as a game. The small box includes 24 double-sided cards, each marked with dots denoting the level of difficulty. Twelve cards are randomly selected, shuffled and put on the table in a pile within reach of all players. Each person then races to find the answer in the form of a mathematical equation that results in the number 24.

Using addition, subtraction, multiplication or division (or any combination), you must figure out how to use all four numbers depicted on the current card to result in a Twenty Four. You may only use each number once, and can only use the resulting numbers once also. The person to first correctly present the solution wins the card, revealing the next card to work on. Sound easy? Let’s see how you do.

Here are two Level 1 card examples. In the first you’ll find two 4’s, a five and an eight. See if you can figure out how to use all four numbers to end up with Twenty Four. A hint, sixes don’t have the circle filled in, nines do. Go ahead…I’ll wait.

Time’s up! (Just kidding, there is no timer). To get to 24, one possible solution is [4-(5-4)]*8. There may be more than one solution to each card [(8-4)*5]+4, but since only one is needed to win it, whichever you come up with first will suffice. Take a shot at the second card and I’ll post the answers below.

Above you’ll find two of the level two cards, while below are level 3’s. I have to admit, some of the level 3’s left us hanging for quite some time before we finally figured out a solution.

You can find brand new copies on Amazon for around $10.  They’re still made by Suntex International as our 1988 copy was, but have a newly designed box. The name is now “24 Game”, but the cards are exactly the same, right down to the art style. A good game for the 4th-6th grade range who need to practice their math skills (or for us adults that can use a refresher!).

As promised, here are the solutions (highlight to reveal)! Hopefully you got them right without peeking!

Level 1 (right) – (9-6)*8*1
Level 2 (left) – [(4*2)-4]*6
Level 2 (right) – (8-2)*(7-3)
Level 3 (left) – [7-(4-1)]*6
Level 3 (right) – (8-4)*6*1

How did you do? Did you get them all correct?