Innovative sliding puzzle

Challenge your logic with a unique brainteaser based on the 15 sliding puzzle!

About the Game

18 Puzzle is a sliding puzzle played in a rectangular box with a set of rectangular and square tiles.

Taking a twist on the classic 15 Puzzle, the game makes you think outside of the box. Indeed, it takes both a non-standard approach and strong spatial abilities to puzzle it out.

Since the tiles are not permanently numbered, this provides for literally limitless combinations with varying difficultly. That's why 18 Puzzle features great replayablity, and can be fun for both kids and adults. So whether you are a Math pro or a prodigy, you will find dozens of sliding puzzles tailored to your current skill level.

With both digital and tangible versions available, 18 Puzzle offers engaging pastime for tabletop game enthusiasts and mobile players.

Game Rules

  • Goal

    Arrange all the tiles in ascending order, starting with 1 in the top-left corner and ending with 18, leaving two empty spaces in the bottom-right corner.

  • Moving the Tiles

    Tiles can only be moved to an empty space by sliding them up, down, left, or right. It is allowed to move several tiles at once by pushing them with one of the tiles.

  • Solvability

    Almost all initial tile combinations in the game have a solution. The only unsolvable starting layout is described in the Features section.

  • End of the Game

    The puzzle is considered complete when all tiles are in order, and the two empty spaces are in the bottom-right corner.

Game Components

  • A box with a width of 4 and a height of 5 cells
  • 6 square tiles, each with one slot
  • 6 rectangular tiles, each with two slots
  • 8 numbered “chips” that fit into the slots of the tiles

Game Setup

These three simple steps allow you to create hundreds of layouts with varying difficulty levels.

Step 1: Arrange the Tiles

Arrange the rectangular and square tiles randomly in the box:

  • Three rectangular tiles have to be placed vertically.
  • Three rectangular tiles are to be placed horizontally.
  • Two empty spaces are left in the bottom-right corner.

Step 2: Target Layout

Number the tiles by placing the numbers in the slots, starting with 1 in the top-left corner and ending with 18 in the bottom-right corner. This will be the target layout.

Step 3: Initial Layout

Rearrange the tiles to create the initial layout.

Gameplay

Move the tiles into the empty spaces to arrange them in ascending order.

Setup

Move 1 ...

... Move 56

Endgame

Game Features

Moving several tiles at once

You can significantly reduce the number of moves by moving a tile that pushes others in turn.

Examples:
  • The tile "5" when moving down pushes the tiles "9-10", "7-11" and "12-16," meaning that four tiles are replaced in a single move.
  • The tile "18" shifts the tile "13" if you move it to the right. Two tiles are replaced in one move.

Moving a square tile in two directions

Since there are two empty spaces in the box, sometimes you can move a square tile in two directions at once without lifting your finger from the tile.

Example:
  • "13" can first be moved to the left and then upward.

Tiles blocking each other

After certain moves, the tiles may happen to block each other. While you may seem stuck, there is always a solution.

The only unsolvable initial layout

When creating a new challenge, avoid the only unsolvable layout with the rectangular tiles blocking each other (see the screenshot).

This layout is only possible through rearranging the tiles and never occurs during gameplay.

Challenges

Set up the tiles and numbers according to the image. Then try and solve the puzzle as you slide the tiles to arrange the numbers in ascending order.

  • Warm-up
  • Novice
  • Expert
  • Master

3D Print Model

You can print the game components on any 3D printer.

Mobile Game

Game for iPhone & iPad
  • Dozen of challenges to complete
  • No ads whether you play offline or online
  • Few difficulty modes

  App Store

Contact


Regarding the distribution of the pocket version of the game
contact@absolutist.com