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Fifteen Puzzle

Fifteen Puzzle

Min number of participants 1
Age 6+ yrs.
Safety support by adult Not required
Min duration 10 min.
Cost None (Free)
Environment Indoor / Outdoor

Slide 15 numbered tiles around a 4x4 frame, using the one empty slot, to arrange them in order — a classic pocket-sized brain teaser that rewards patient, step-by-step planning.

The Essentials

How to play

  1. The puzzle has 15 numbered tiles in a 4x4 grid with one empty space.
  2. Slide any tile adjacent to the empty space into that space — this is the only legal move.
  3. Keep sliding tiles to shuffle the puzzle, then try to restore the numbers to order (1–15, left to right, top to bottom) with the empty space ending in the bottom-right corner.
  4. Work row by row from the top: solve the first row, then the second row, then finish the last two rows together as a block.
  5. Not every random arrangement is solvable — if you scramble it yourself by hand (rather than starting from a factory-set puzzle), an odd number of tile swaps can leave you with an unsolvable position.

Tips

  • Focus on one or two tiles at a time instead of trying to see the whole solution at once.
  • Lock finished rows and columns in place mentally and avoid moving those tiles again.
  • The last two tiles in a row are the trickiest — learn the standard "rotate the pair into place" trick for them.
  • Digital and app versions of the puzzle always start from a solvable shuffle, so you don't need to worry about parity there.

What You Need

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