Playing
Tap a tile next to the gap to slide it in, or swipe. Tap a tile two or three places away from the gap, in line with it, and every tile in between shifts in one go. Arrow keys work as well. Numbers on the tiles can be switched on when the picture has large areas of one colour.
Every deal is solvable. A shuffled sliding puzzle can be impossible, so the game only deals positions that can reach the finished picture. The hint uses a solver: on 3×3 it shows a move on the shortest path, on 4×4 it leads you through in stages.
A method that always works
- Finish the top row first, tile by tile. Bring the last tile of the row in from below, around the corner.
- Finish the left column the same way. Now the puzzle is one size smaller.
- Repeat until a 2×3 block is left, then rotate the remaining tiles round the gap until they fall into place.
Do not touch finished rows once they are done. If a tile you need is trapped behind them, move the gap around it in a loop instead.
On 4×4 the hard part is the end of each row. Put the row's penultimate tile into the corner first, tuck the final tile beneath it, then move the pair up together.
Numbers or no numbers
With numbers off you solve by the picture alone, which is harder in skies and seas where tiles look alike. Switch the numbers on from the game's toolbar when a picture has large plain areas; each tile then shows its place in reading order. The 3×3 board is a good warm-up for the method above, and the 4×4 board is where it really pays off.
Your moves and time are saved after every slide, so a half-finished board waits for you.
Questions
Which pictures can I use?
Any of the 24 pictures painted for this site. Choose one above the board, or open a picture's own page.
Is there a time limit?
No. The timer is there for your record; pausing the tab stops it.
How many moves does a 3×3 need?
Usually between fifteen and thirty with good play. The hint follows the shortest path, so watching it for a few moves teaches the patterns.
What counts for the Puzzle lamp?
Finishing lights it. No hint gives one more ray, and finishing under one and a half minutes on 3×3 or five minutes on 4×4 gives another.