How to play the sliding puzzle
- Tap a tile next to the empty space to slide it into the gap.
- Tap a tile further along the same row or column to slide the whole line at once.
- Put the tiles in order, left to right and top to bottom, with the gap in the bottom-right corner.
How to solve the 15 puzzle
- Top row first: place 1, 2, 3 and 4. Get 3 and 4 into place together by parking 4 below its spot, then rotating.
- Then the left column: place 5, 9 and 13 the same way.
- Repeat on the smaller puzzle that's left until only a 2×2 corner remains, then cycle those tiles home.
Levels
- Easy: 3×3 (the 8-puzzle), great for kids.
- Medium: 4×4, the classic 15 puzzle.
- Hard: 5×5, the 24-puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sliding puzzle?
A sliding puzzle is a grid of numbered tiles with one empty space. You slide tiles into the gap to put them back in order from 1 to the last number.
What is the 15 puzzle?
The 15 puzzle is the classic 4×4 sliding puzzle with tiles 1 to 15. Our Medium level is the 15 puzzle; Easy is the 3×3 8-puzzle and Hard is the 5×5 24-puzzle.
Is every sliding puzzle solvable?
Not every random arrangement can be solved, but ours are always shuffled using real moves from the solved position, so every puzzle can be solved.
Can I move more than one tile at once?
Yes. Tap any tile in the same row or column as the gap and the whole line slides together.
How do you solve a sliding puzzle?
Solve the top row first, then the left column, and keep shrinking the puzzle. Save the last 2×2 corner for the end and rotate those tiles into place.
Last updated · By the PlayMathGames team