🔀 Sliding Puzzle
Slide tiles to arrange them in order from 1 to the last number. Move the empty space to shift tiles.
Tap a tile next to the blank space to slide it. Or swipe.
✅ How to Play Sliding Puzzle
- The grid contains numbered tiles with one empty space.
- Tap any tile that is directly adjacent (up, down, left, right) to the empty space to slide it in.
- Your goal is to arrange all tiles in ascending order from left to right, top to bottom, with the empty space in the bottom-right.
- Try to solve it in as few moves as possible — your best is saved per difficulty.
- Tap New Puzzle for a freshly shuffled, always-solvable board.
Common Questions
Is every puzzle solvable?
Yes — all puzzles are guaranteed solvable. The game generates a perfect solution and then shuffles via random valid slides, so it always has a solution.
Why can some shuffled puzzles be unsolvable?
In a standard n-puzzle, exactly half of all possible arrangements are unsolvable. That's why this game generates puzzles by shuffling from a solved state — every puzzle you get is solvable.
What is the minimum number of moves?
It varies by puzzle. For a 3×3 grid the theoretical minimum is at most 31 moves (the "God's number"). For 4×4 it can be over 80. Finding the true optimum is computationally hard.
Is my best score saved?
Yes — your lowest move count per difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) is saved in your browser's localStorage so you can come back and try to beat it.
Can I play on mobile?
Yes — tap any adjacent tile to slide it. The board is fully touch-friendly and works on all smartphones and tablets.
Difficulty Comparison
| Level | Grid | Tiles | Typical solve |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Easy | 3×3 | 8 + blank | 20–50 moves |
| 🟡 Medium | 4×4 | 15 + blank | 60–120 moves |
| 🔴 Hard | 5×5 | 24 + blank | 150–300 moves |
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