Roman Numeral Matchstick Puzzles
- Question
- –/5
- Score
- 0
- Streak
- 0
Each equation is false. Move exactly one matchstick to make it true.
How to play
Five puzzles per round, ordered from easy to tricky. Pick up one stick and put it somewhere else, then press Check. Undo puts the stick back.
What one stick can do here: an I can move to any gap; a plus loses a stick and becomes a minus; a minus can gain one and become plus or equals; a V can be turned into an X, and an X into a V.
Tips
- Read the equation first and see how far off it is. If it is off by one, try moving an I.
- The equals sign can move too: II − VIII = VI becomes II = VIII − VI.
- Every puzzle here has exactly one solution.
More Roman numeral games
- XRoman Numerals Quiz10 questions by level, from 1–20 to 1–3999 and years
- IDaily ChallengeFive mixed questions, the same for everyone each day
- LXRoman Numerals Speed TestAs many conversions as you can type in 60 seconds
- MMBuild the NumberPut the symbols in order to write the number
- ICValid or Not?Spot the badly written numerals: IIII, IC, VX…
- XIIRoman Numeral ClockRead the time on a Roman numeral clock face
Common questions
Can the answer have the equals sign on the left?
Yes. Both forms count: VI + I = VII and VII = VI + I.
Why only I, V and X?
The puzzles use numbers up to 20, which only need I, V and X. Those are also the symbols you can make from straight sticks.