Your first round
- Find tile 1 and work out which side needs an empty square to move it toward the top-left.
- Route the blank around the tile, then slide the tile one step toward its target.
- Build the upper rows, planning the last two positions of a row together so they can enter in order.
- Work through the remaining lower area and use Undo if a cycle disrupts a completed section.
Worked example
Move the tile, not the blank
If the blank is immediately left of tile 5, clicking 5 slides it left. The Left key does the same thing. To move 5 upward next, first bring the blank to the square above it.
Build your strategy
- Avoid disturbing a solved row unless you have a plan to restore it.
- Think several slides ahead when placing the last pair of tiles in a row.
- Use short loops in the unsolved region to reposition the blank without scrambling the whole board.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the arrow key to move the blank in that direction.
- Placing a row’s final tile without leaving room to bring its neighbor into place.
Try this next
On Easy, practice completing the top row and keeping it intact while solving the rest. Try the longer Medium scramble before adding the fourth row on Hard.
Play Sliding Puzzle ↗