Innovative sliding puzzle

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

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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 rectangular tiles, each with two slots
6 square tiles, each with one slot
18 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: