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Slide Puzzle GUIDE

How to Solve Slide Puzzles

Moving the tile closest to its destination can undo a completed row or strand the empty cell on the wrong side.

Play Slide Puzzle

Decision plan

Set up the position

Solve the top row before disturbing lower rows.

Protect the next decision

Move the empty cell into position before chasing the next tile.

Convert the opportunity

Preserve completed rows while cycling the final pieces.

A decision sequence in slide-puzzle

  1. Choose the next tile in solved order and move the empty cell beside it.
  2. Cycle nearby tiles until the target enters its final position without disturbing completed rows.
  3. Lock the solved row mentally and repeat the process on the smaller remaining area.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Chasing one tile without planning the empty cell's route.
  • Breaking a completed top row to fix a lower tile.

Play next

Sudoku

Both grid puzzles reward checking constraints across the whole board before changing one cell.

Memory

Memory similarly rewards retaining earlier positions instead of reacting only to the current tile.

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