Costcodle

Thinking like a Costco shopper

Costcodle shows one item from Costco with its pack size and asks what it costs. You win by landing within 5 percent of the real price, so on a 20 dollar item you need to be within one dollar. That is tight, which is why the higher or lower arrows matter so much.

Price clues people use

• Think in bulk. Costco sells big packs, so compare with the price per unit you pay at a normal store and multiply.
• Kirkland Signature, the store brand, is usually cheaper than the name brand next to it.
• Many shoppers know that Costco prices ending in .99 are regular prices and ones ending in .97 are often markdowns. It will not give you the number, but it can help you decide the last digits.
• Electronics and furniture swing a lot. Start with a round guess and let the arrows guide you.

How to close in within six guesses

Use the first guess to set a range, not to win. If the first answer says higher by a lot, double your guess. Once you have a price that is too high and one that is too low, guess halfway between them. Most players hit the 5 percent window by the fourth or fifth guess this way.

Games like Costcodle

If guessing prices is your thing, estimation games scratch the same itch. Magnitudle asks for real world numbers on a log scale, and higher or lower games make you compare two prices or numbers at a time.