Number Span

Watch a number pass digit by digit, then key it in.

A short run of digits passes through the centre of the card, each on its own. When the last has gone, the keypad comes to life and you enter the full number. Get it right and the next one grows by a digit. There is also a backwards mode, where you start from the final digit shown and work towards the first.

How to play

Watch the digits. Each shows for under a second, with a small dot row counting how many are left.
Type the number on the keypad. In backwards mode, type it from the end.
A correct answer stretches the next number by one digit. A mistake takes away a life and leaves the length as it was.
Three lives, at most fourteen rounds.

Levels and modes

EasyEasy starts at three digits and shows each for about eight tenths of a second.
MediumMedium starts at four digits and shows them a little faster.
HardHard starts at five digits and shows them fast.

Mode: In order · Backwards

What your result means

Your score is the length, in digits, of the longest number you entered without a slip. The in-order and backwards modes are recorded separately, each with its own best and chart, since they are really two different tasks.

Tips from the tea table

Chunk the digits as they arrive: 4-7-2 becomes forty-seven, two. Two chunks are easier to carry than five singles.
For backwards, build the number in pairs from the end while it is still appearing, rather than reversing it all at the last moment.
The numbers never repeat a digit twice in a row and never run in steps like 4-5-6, so you do not need to guard against those.
Type steadily; there is no clock while you answer.

Questions

Does a clock run while I am typing my answer?

No. Only the digits on screen are timed; once the keypad is yours, answer in your own time.

What is the difference between the modes?

In order you type the number as shown. Backwards you type it from the last digit to the first.

Can I use my keyboard?

Yes. Number keys type, Backspace removes the last digit.

Why are my backwards results lower?

Turning a number around while holding it takes more room in your head. That is why the two modes keep separate bests.

Tea sets with Number Span

These sets pour Number Span as one of their three cups:

How each kind of task works