Fun
Sliding Puzzle
Slide the numbered tiles into order. Start with the 3 × 3 board, or take on the classic 4 × 4 fifteen puzzle.
Everything in its place.
Slide the tiles into number order. One empty square, plenty of possibilities.
Tap a tile next to the empty space. On a keyboard, focus the board and use the arrow keys to move the gap. Put 1–15 in order, with the gap at the bottom right. Every shuffle is solvable.
Play and explore in your browser. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions
Are all of these sliding puzzles solvable?
Yes. Every board starts solved and is mixed by repeatedly sliding an adjacent tile into the empty space. Reversing that sequence would solve it. This avoids the unsolvable arrangements that can appear when numbered tiles are shuffled arbitrarily.
What is the difference between the 8 puzzle and 15 puzzle?
The 8 puzzle uses eight numbered tiles and one gap on a 3 by 3 board. The 15 puzzle uses fifteen tiles and one gap on a 4 by 4 board. Both have the same movement rule, but the larger board requires more planning and usually more moves.
What do the arrow keys control?
The arrow points in the direction the empty space moves. Pressing Left slides the tile to the gap's left into the gap, for example. Click or tab to the board first. Keys only control the puzzle while focus is within the board, so the rest of the page can still scroll normally.
How should I start solving the 15 puzzle?
Build the top row first, then work on the leftmost remaining column. Keep completed areas intact while arranging the smaller unsolved region. The last two tiles in a row need to be positioned together before they are rotated into place; forcing one into its final spot too early can block the other.
Does the timer keep running when I take a break?
Pause stops the timer and covers the board. The timer also stops counting while the tab is hidden and after the puzzle is solved. Undo removes one move from the board and the move count, but it does not erase time already spent thinking.
About this tool
A sliding puzzle is an ordering problem with very little room to maneuver: every tile must travel through the single empty square. The aim is to put the numbers in reading order, starting at the top left, with the gap in the bottom-right corner. Only the four neighboring positions can move into the gap; diagonal moves are not allowed.
This version offers two board sizes without adding separate pages for the same game. The 3 by 3 board is a manageable place to understand how moving one tile affects the others. The 4 by 4 board is the familiar fifteen puzzle, where solving a row or column at a time makes the task easier to control.
Green tiles are currently in their final position, but they are not locked. Sometimes you must move a correct tile temporarily to make space for another. The In place count is a progress cue, not a measure of the minimum moves remaining, and the random shuffle is not a difficulty rating.
Play with taps, mouse clicks or arrow keys. The current board, move history and timer stay in the open tab; they are not saved across reloads. New puzzle creates another solvable board, and switching sizes starts a fresh round.
Updated · Novpix LLC