Popular 15 Sliding Block Puzzle Instructions:

The Popular 15 Puzzle (also known as the Puzzle of Fifteen) has been around since about 1865. The object is quite simple - slide the blocks around until the numbers are ordered from 1 to 15 with the space at the bottom right-hand corner.

In this version, when you click on the "GO" button the computer will slide the pieces. The number of moves it has made will be shown at the bottom left. You then can click on number pieces to move them into the space. Every move you make will be counted and shown at the bottom right of the game. When you solve the puzzle, Dixie will appear. Try to do the same number of moves that the computer did, but it's not easy!

Interestingly, the great puzzle maker Sam Loyd made a version of this puzzle in the 1870's where the 14 and 15 were swapped places called the "14-15 puzzle". The object was to slide the pieces until the 14 and 15 were in the correct order (along with the rest of the numbers). He offered $1000 to the first person who could solve it (a lot of money in those days) and it became a major craze. I won't reproduce it on this website, because it is impossible to solve!!

If you want to know more, Jerry Slocum (a well known authority on puzzles and their history) has a book on the subject at his website.

NEW! Even more interesting, Jerry Slocum has let me know that the information previously published about Sam Loyd was wrong! I have to read his book to find out more, so I'll post some more information when I've read it...