How to play the sliding puzzle
Put the numbered picture tiles in order from left to right, with the empty square at the bottom right. Tap or click a tile directly beside the gap to slide it into the empty space. Tiles cannot jump over each other. The target panel shows the finished arrangement, with numbers as well as pictures.
Choose Animals, Fruit, Sports or friendly Spooky pictures on a 3×3, 4×4 or 5×5 board. Each of the twelve combinations keeps its own puzzle. Every new scramble is made using legal slides from the solved board, so it is reachable. There is no countdown or failed run.
Keyboard and touch controls
Tap a tile beside the empty square, or Tab to a tile and press Enter or Space. Arrow keys move a neighbouring tile in the direction of the arrow while a tile is focused. Each deliberate key press counts once; held keys do not repeat moves. The tile labels include their number, row, column and whether they can slide.
Undo last slide restores the previous arrangement and move count, up to one hundred slides before completion. Active time is retained. New puzzle asks before replacing an unfinished board. Choosing another size or picture theme keeps the current board and resumes the other combination.
Return to your unfinished puzzle
Your board, move count, active time and undo history save in this browser on this device. The main page returns to your last combination; a link with a theme and size opens that exact combination. Changing the working level does not erase a puzzle already in play. A fresh visit without saved work uses the working level to suggest a size; all three remain available.
The active-time counter starts with your first slide, pauses when the page is hidden and checkpoints during play. It does not add the time you spend away. Abrupt browser termination can lose the latest few seconds. Saved-board feedback and sticker saving are checked separately. If storage is unavailable, you can still play, but refreshing or leaving may lose this session. Clearing browser storage or using another device starts fresh; these are local saves.
Three sizes, four picture sets
A 3×3 board has eight tiles, a 4×4 board has fifteen and a 5×5 board has twenty-four. Larger boards give you more positions to plan around. These are puzzle choices, not age guarantees or fixed completion times. Animals, Fruit, Sports and Spooky retain the same numbered ordering rule.
Records and stickers
Best results are kept separately for all twelve combinations: fewest moves first, then active time for ties. Earlier best records are carried forward when no newer save exists. Solving a board awards its existing size-and-theme sticker in the shared sticker book. A completed board remains solved when you return, until you choose a new puzzle. The result appears below the controls and leaves your board visible.
A method to try
Work on the top row first. Think about where the empty space needs to be so a tile can approach its destination. Once a row is ordered, try to keep it while you arrange the remaining area. If a move takes you away from your plan, Undo lets you examine the earlier position. The target stays visible for comparison.
Questions about the sliding puzzle
Can a shuffle be impossible to solve?
No. New boards are made through legal moves from the solved position, and damaged or unreachable saved boards are rejected.
Is there a time limit?
No. Active time counts up while you play. It does not end the puzzle.
Can I change size or theme part-way through?
Yes. Each combination keeps its own board. Switching resumes its saved puzzle or starts it if new. Only confirming New puzzle replaces that combination.
Is the sliding puzzle free to play?
Yes. Play in your browser without signup, downloads or in-game purchases. Built by a UK SEND tutor with QTS.