PhotoInto

Sliding Puzzle

Turn a photo into a sliding tile puzzle — or play the classic with numbers.

Drop a photo hereor paste with Ctrl/⌘ + V · Your photo stays on your device
No photo handy? Try one:

How to play

  1. Choose a photo (or a sample), or play with numbers.
  2. Pick the grid: 3 × 3 for a quick game, 4 × 4 for the classic 15 puzzle, up to 6 × 6.
  3. Tap a tile in the same row or column as the space to slide it. Arrow keys and swipes work too.
  4. Hold Hold to peek to see the finished picture.

How to solve a sliding puzzle

  1. Top row first. Bring the tiles of the top row into place one by one. For the last two of a row, park the last tile below its spot, put the one before it in the corner, then slide both in together.
  2. Then the next rows, the same way, until two rows are left.
  3. The last two rows column by column, from the left: place the top tile of a column, then the bottom one, with the same parking trick.
  4. The final 2 × 2 just rotates — turn it until everything clicks into place.

Photo puzzles are easier with the numbers switched on; turn them off once you know the picture.

Prefer a jigsaw? Try Image to Puzzle.

More photo tools

  • Photo to Pixel Art — Turn any picture into 8-bit pixel art and download a PNG.
  • Image to Puzzle — Turn a photo into a jigsaw puzzle — play it here or print it.
  • Pixelate Image — Pixelate a whole photo, or brush over faces and text to hide them.
  • Image to Coloring Page — Turn a photo into black outlines — download or print a coloring sheet.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play a sliding puzzle?

The picture is cut into tiles with one space left empty. Slide tiles into the space, one at a time, until the picture is whole again (or the numbers are in order) with the space in the bottom-right corner.

Can I make a sliding puzzle from my own photo?

Yes. Choose a photo and it becomes the puzzle straight away. It is cut into a square from the middle of your photo, and nothing is uploaded.

Is every puzzle solvable?

Yes. The tiles are mixed by making random legal moves from the finished picture, so every shuffle can be solved. (Swapping two tiles by hand is what makes the famous unsolvable 15 puzzle.)

What is the 15 puzzle?

The classic 4 × 4 sliding puzzle with 15 numbered tiles and one space, popular since the 1880s. Choose 4 × 4 and Numbers to play it.

What is the fastest way to solve a sliding puzzle?

Solve it row by row from the top, then column by column on the left, until only a 2 × 2 corner is left, which you can rotate into place. Fewer moves come with practice — the counter shows your moves.

Can I use the keyboard?

Yes: the arrow keys slide the tile next to the space in that direction. On a phone you can swipe or tap a tile.