Guides & Articles
Everything we know about slide puzzles, organised by what you want to do — play a particular size, solve one, turn a photo into one, or read the maths behind why some boards are impossible.
Solver & solutions
Free sliding puzzle solvers and step-by-step solutions: 3×3 to 6×6 boards, screenshot recognition, optimal moves — plus guides on how the algorithms work.
Step-by-step guide to solving the 15 puzzle by hand: solve row 1, solve column 1, recurse into the 3×3 subpuzzle. Includes the corner-L manoeuvre.
The general method for solving any sliding tile puzzle by hand: row-and-column reduction with the L-shaped corner manoeuvre. Same at every size.
How to solve the Palia sliding puzzle in the Eye of the Storm quest: the universal row-by-row method for the Silverwing mural at the Temple of the Gales, plus tips for returning to the puzzle room.
Guide to Inscryption's sliding puzzles: how the Act 1 cabin drawer sliders work (win the frozen board by 5 points), and how to solve the two Act 3 robot sliding puzzles for the Mrs. Bomb Remote and the Lonely Wizbot card.
How sliding puzzle solvers work: six algorithms — BFS, A* with Manhattan distance and linear conflict, IDA*, walking distance, additive pattern databases — compared, with a recommendation.
Game modes
Slide puzzle game modes explained: 8, 15, 24 and 35 puzzle, number and picture boards, difficulty and strategy — every way to play, in one place.
What Klotski is, how it differs from the 15 puzzle, the Huarong Dao legend, the 81-move minimum solution, and a strategy that actually works.
A guide to sliding block puzzles: the tile-sorting family (8/15/24 puzzle), the block-escape family (Klotski, Rush Hour), strategy for each, and why the general problem is PSPACE-complete.
A guide to the sliding tile puzzle family: square grids, hexagonal variants, rotation puzzles, and the maths that ties them together.
Custom & photo puzzles
Make a sliding puzzle from your own photo: custom boards, picture puzzles and tools that rebuild any image tile by tile.
Step-by-step guide to making your own slide puzzle: pick a photo, crop it square, choose a size, and either play in an app or print and cut a physical version.
Custom sliding puzzles for gifts and personalization: which photos work, which board size to pick, and when to choose digital over physical.
Math & theory
The mathematics of the 15 puzzle: parity and unsolvable boards, Manhattan distance, algorithms and the theory behind sliding-tile puzzles.
A history of 15-puzzle solving algorithms: BFS, A* with Manhattan distance, IDA*, walking distance, and additive pattern databases.
How the Manhattan distance heuristic works, why it is admissible and consistent, and where it falls short for slide-puzzle solving.
The four techniques that solve any sliding tile puzzle by hand: row-and-column reduction, the L-shaped corner manoeuvre, empty-cell routing, endgame.
How to check if a 15 puzzle is solvable, in plain language: count inversions, add the blank's row, check parity. What to do if you get a bad board.
The authoritative 15 puzzle parity proof: count inversions plus the blank's row to test any configuration. Worked examples for the 14–15 swapped and 13-15-14 boards, the knight (Guarini) cousin, and an FAQ.
Who it is for
Who slide puzzles fit best: calm brain training for adults, gentle first puzzles for kids, and ad-free play for everyone.
What slide puzzles actually train cognitively, what brain-training claims to treat with caution, and how they compare to sudoku and chess.
How to find a puzzle game without ads: what 'no ads' means in the fine print, IAP vs ad-funded apps, and the App Store signals to read first.
Why slide puzzles suit adults: short games, no skill ceiling, no notifications, no streaks. How to pick one without manipulative casual-game patterns.
Slide puzzles for children — cognitive benefits, board sizes by age (3×3 from 4–5, 4×4 from 7+), and what to look for in a kid-safe app.
Where slide puzzles fit in the wider logic puzzle genre: comparison with sudoku, nonograms, kakuro, klotski, and chess puzzles.