Sliding Puzzle
Slide the tiles to put everything back in order.
The famous sliding tile game, from 3 × 3 to 6 × 6: shuffles that are always solvable, optimal hints and an AI that solves the grid before your eyes.
- Players
- 1 player
- Length
- 2 to 20 min
- Solo
15 days of full access, no account · No download
How to play
Goal of the game
Put the tiles back in ascending order, from left to right and top to bottom, with the empty square ending the grid at the bottom right.
How it works
- Tap a tile lined up with the empty square: it slides, pushing its neighbours along if needed.
- Swipe the screen or use the arrow keys: the tile next to the empty square slides in that direction.
- Each tile moved counts as one move. The timer starts on the first move.
- Every shuffle is solvable: they respect the parity of permutations.
- A golden dot marks each tile that is already in place.
Levels
- Easy: 3 × 3.
- Medium: 4 × 4 with a partial shuffle.
- Hard: 4 × 4 fully shuffled.
- Expert: 5 × 5.
- Diabolical: 6 × 6.
The "Generated picture" option replaces the numbers with an original landscape, painted for each game (the numbers stay visible in small print). The "Preview" button shows the complete picture.
About the AI
On 3 × 3, the AI finds the optimal solution with IDA* (Manhattan distance and linear conflicts). On 4 × 4, it uses additive pattern databases (three groups of five tiles, computed at launch), also looked up on the reflected position: the solution is optimal, falling back on the row method if the search runs past a few seconds. On 5 × 5 and 6 × 6, it applies the row method: each stage (one or two tiles) is solved by an exact breadth-first search, then the last 3 × 3 square optimally.
Records (moves and time) are only recognised without hints or AI help.
Difficulty levels
- Easy3 × 3: eight tiles to warm up.
- Medium4 × 4 with a partial shuffle: the fifteen puzzle, gently.
- Hard4 × 4 fully shuffled: the classic fifteen puzzle.
- Expert5 × 5: twenty-four tiles, a method becomes essential.
- Diabolical6 × 6: thirty-five tiles, for the very patient.
