About the Sliding Puzzle
Put the numbered tiles back in order by sliding them into the empty space. Pick the 3×3, 4×4 or 5×5 board; every shuffle is guaranteed to be solvable.
Key features
- 3×3 (8 puzzle), 4×4 (15 puzzle) and 5×5 (24 puzzle)
- Every shuffle is solvable
- Slide whole rows or columns in one click
- Arrow-key controls
- Tiles in place are highlighted
- Fewest moves saved for each size
How to solve a sliding puzzle
Solve it in layers, so you never need to disturb finished parts:
- Solve the top row one tile at a time. Place the last two tiles of the row together: put the last tile under its spot, then rotate both in.
- Solve the left column the same way.
- Repeat on the smaller puzzle that's left, until only a 2×2 or 2×3 area remains.
- Cycle the last tiles around the space until they fall into place.
Puzzle sizes
| Board | Tiles | Positions you can reach |
|---|---|---|
| 3 × 3 | 8 | 181,440 |
| 4 × 4 | 15 | about 10 trillion |
| 5 × 5 | 24 | about 7.8 × 10²⁴ |
Related games
Sudoku, tic-tac-toe, and memory game.
How to use the Sliding Puzzle
- Choose a mode or difficulty, or keep the default.
- Press Start (or just click the board) and play with your mouse, finger or keyboard.
- Your score, time and moves are shown as you play.
- Your best score is saved in this browser, so you can try to beat it next time.