Last Donut is a free daily strategy game for one player. There are donuts in the break room, and nobody wants to be the one who takes the last one. You and your coworker Sam take turns taking donuts. Whoever takes the last donut loses the round. You always start, and every round can be won, but Sam never misses a chance, so one careless move is enough to lose. Monday has one row of donuts and small turns. Friday has three or four rows, and a turn can take a whole row. It is the old game of Nim, served with icing.
No sign-up and nothing to install. It runs in your browser on a computer or a phone, and your progress is saved on your device.
- Three rounds a day. Each round has its own rule for how many donuts a turn may take.
- You move first. The starting position can always be won.
- Sam plays perfectly. After a slip, Sam wins. The game tells you which move was the slip.
- Play it again. A lost round starts over, as often as you need.
How to play Last Donut
- Read the dark sign. It says how many donuts a turn may take.
- Tap a donut. It is picked together with every donut to its right in that row.
- Press Take. Then Sam takes a turn.
- Leave Sam with the last donut to win the round. Win three rounds to finish the day.
What you see
| Part | What it means |
|---|---|
| Dark sign | The rule of the round: how many donuts a turn may take, and that the last donut loses. |
| Rows | The donuts. With several rows, a turn takes from one row only. |
| Dashed circles | Donuts that are already gone. |
| Orange rings | The donuts you picked. |
| Blue circle with S | Sam. It bounces while Sam is choosing. |
| Bars above the rows | The three rounds of the day. Green is won, orange is the open one. |
Tips for winning
- With one row, count in groups. If a turn may take 1 or 2, groups of 3 matter: leave Sam with 1, 4, 7 or 10 donuts. If a turn may take 1 to 3, leave 1, 5, 9 or 13.
- Answer Sam to keep the group. When Sam takes 1 of a group of 3, you take 2. When Sam takes 2, you take 1. The total stays at 3 per pair of turns.
- With two rows, make them equal. If both rows have the same number, you can copy whatever Sam does in the other row.
- Change plan near the end. When copying would leave only single donuts, count them: you want Sam to face an odd number of single donuts.
- Start from the end. Ask which small positions are lost for the one who has to move, such as a single donut. Then find the positions from which you can reach them.
How the week gets harder
| Day | Rows in the three rounds | Donuts per turn |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1, 1, 1 | 1 or 2, then 1 to 3 |
| Tuesday | 1, 1, 2 | 1 to 3, 1 to 4, then 1 or 2 from one row |
| Wednesday | 2, 2, 3 | 1 to 3, any number, 1 or 2, always from one row |
| Thursday | 2, 3, 3 | Any number, 1 to 3, any number, always from one row |
| Friday | 3, 3, 4 | Any number from one row |
Saturday plays like a Wednesday and Sunday like a Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
Is Last Donut free?
Yes. There is no account, no download and no paywall.
Can every round really be won?
Yes. A program checks every starting position: the player who moves first can force the other one to take the last donut. It also checks that this needs more than one good move.
Why did I lose although I played well at the end?
Sam plays perfectly. After one slip, Sam can always win, whatever you do later. After a lost round the game tells you which of your moves was the slip.
What does the hint do?
It picks a move that keeps the win. If the win is already gone, it tells you so, and you can start the round again with the Start over button.
Is this the game of Nim?
Yes. Taking objects from rows in turns is the old game of Nim. This version is the one where the player who takes the last object loses.
Does Sam always make the same moves?
From the same position Sam answers in the same way, so you can learn from a lost round and try a different plan.
When do the new rounds appear?
At midnight in your local time.
Can I play earlier days?
Yes. Open the calendar button at the top of the game and pick any day from the past eight weeks.
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