Number Guessing Game: Higher or Lower?
Play the classic number guessing game. I pick a secret number from 1 to 100, and you try to find it. After every guess you are told whether to go higher or lower. Can you get it in seven tries or fewer? You can also switch roles and let the computer guess your number.
Quick answer: Type a number and press Guess. If your guess is too high, go lower; if it is too low, go higher. The bar and the “Still possible” box show how much of the range is left. With perfect play you can always find a number from 1 to 100 in 7 guesses, and from 1 to 1,000 in 10.
How to play the number guessing game
- Choose a range: 1 to 10 for young kids, 1 to 100 or 1 to 1,000.
- Enter your first guess. Each guess shows up as a colored chip: red means too high, blue means too low.
- Keep narrowing it down until you find the number. Your best score for each range is saved.
- Switch to Computer guesses yours, think of a number and answer Higher, Lower or Yes.
The best strategy: halve the range
Always guess the middle of what is still possible. For 1 to 100, start with 50. If it is too high, try 25; if too low, try 75. Each guess cuts the possibilities in half, which is called a binary search. It is the same idea computers use to search sorted lists quickly.
| Range | Guesses needed with perfect play |
|---|---|
| 1 to 10 | 4 |
| 1 to 100 | 7 |
| 1 to 1,000 | 10 |
| 1 to 1,000,000 | 20 |
Why kids love it
- Number sense. Kids practice comparing numbers and thinking about halves.
- Quick rounds. A game takes under a minute, so it fits any break.
- Role reversal. Watching the computer find their number in a few guesses feels like magic, until they learn the trick.
Need a random number for something else? Use the random number generator or dice roller. For more math fun, try the times tables game or Nim.
FAQ
Is the secret number random?
Yes. It is picked with your browser’s secure random number generator each time you start a new game.
Can the computer always guess my number?
Yes, as long as you answer honestly. It needs at most 7 guesses for 1 to 100 and 10 guesses for 1 to 1,000.
More free games and tools
See all of them on the QuickOnlineTips free online tools page and the free online games page.