Sliding Puzzle Games
About Sliding Puzzle Games
Sliding puzzles are some of the oldest puzzles there are. The famous 15 puzzle of the 1880s put fifteen numbered tiles in a 4×4 tray with one empty space, and the only move is to slide a tile into the gap. The same idea gave us picture slide puzzles, where the tiles carry pieces of an image, and sliding block puzzles, where pieces of different lengths are packed into a box and one of them has to get out. Every single move is easy; the puzzle is the order, because each piece you slide changes what can move next.
Slide Snap is the classic picture sliding puzzle as a two-minute run on the board size you choose: four 3×3 or four 4×4 pictures, three 5×5 or two 6×6, each a scrambled picture of bold flat art with a number on every tile. Tap any tile in line with the gap and the whole line slides, or use the arrow keys. Every board of a picture needs exactly the same number of moves on every run, so the fastest times are a fair race.
Unpark is a sliding block puzzle in a parking lot. Cars, trucks and buses can only roll forwards and backwards along their lanes, and you clear a path for the red car to drive out through the exit. Each lot needs one move more than the last, from two moves up to fifteen, all on one clock, with an undo and a hint when you are stuck.
Both are free in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer. For more logic puzzles, see the puzzle games and brain games; for short timed play, the quick games.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sliding puzzle?
A puzzle where tiles or blocks sit in a tray with some empty space and can only slide, never be lifted out. You rearrange them by sliding pieces into the gaps until the picture is whole or the target block can escape.
Can every sliding puzzle be solved?
Not every arrangement can: half of all possible 15 puzzle positions can never be solved. Every board in Slide Snap and every lot in Unpark is checked by a solver, so each one can be solved, in a known number of moves.
How do I get faster at the 15 puzzle?
Solve it in layers: finish the top row, then the second row, and leave the last two rows for the end, where you work column by column. In Slide Snap, tapping a tile further along the gap's row or column slides the whole line at once and saves time.
Can I play sliding puzzles on my phone?
Yes. Both games are made for touch: tap or drag on a phone, click or use the arrow keys on a computer.