The Devil's Calculator: A Math

Christopher Cinq-Mars Jarvis

In-app purchases

About this game

An evil calculator has its normal arithmetic operators replaced with sadistically obscure functions. Using logic and a bit of algebra, you must work backwards to interpolate them and purge the calculator of its demons. This new, non-profit calculator game by the creator of Synonymy is sophisticated, and challenging.

Non-profit and open-source, The Devil's Calculator is a highly original indie game that's as addicting as it is educational. Accessible to numberphiles and math novices alike, the first 20+ levels are 100% free to play and enjoy.

Each level has you decipher the function of a mysterious operator and use it to calculate the number of the beast to progress. Advanced graphing mechanics, countless features and simple, yet innovative level design provide considerable depth to the gameplay. Players unlock the ability to create their own levels and play challenges others have created - including free DLC levels crafted by the game's creators, educators and mathematicians. With hand drawn artwork and a charming story, the Devil's Calculator is a genuinely fun and gratifying puzzle experience.

Cinq-Mars Media is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization developing technology to support scientific research related to human safety and education, and to make such technology and research available on a charitable basis.

Ratings and reviews

A good game and an interesting concept. I would recommend it. Pros: Hours and hours of enjoyable math problems. Integrated links to a real calculator and to Wolfram Alpha, so it doesn't feel like cheating to use those resources. Cons: The difficulty ramps up too slowly. The in-game unpossessed calculator is clunky and awkward, especially when chaining operations. The possessed calculator is very finicky, which is explainable in universe but still a point against it's gameplay.

Fun puzzle game all about numerals. I enjoy the non-algebraic puzzles, always a fun realization. The built-in normal calculator isn't great, it fails to register button inputs a lot, and it doesn't let you chain calculations together like you would expect. Also, the note taking screen doesn't let you set your cursor, so it's much better to have a pen and paper on hand when you play.

Love this game, played it all the way through, ran into some bugs here and there. It's one of my favorite math puzzle games ever made. But I can't give this five stars. In the postgame I was cruising through problems both repeats and good, but during a submission my game continued to run into a halted state. Clearing memory and reinstallations freed me back to the start, but now I cannot get back to the postgame as it keeps asking for me to upgrade. I hope one day to change this to 5 stars.