Sliding Blocks

Rush Hour was created by Nob Yoshigahara and published by ThinkFun in 1996. Its central idea uses constrained lanes: each vehicle moves along its orientation, and the target car must reach an exit. Play this free browser version to practice the Sliding Blocks at your own pace. The board gives immediate feedback through visible tiles, moves, and a clear win condition.

1. Read the board before making a move. Move each block only along its long axis. Blocks cannot overlap or leave the six-by-six grid. Clear the red car's lane to move it to the right exit.
2. Use a mouse, keyboard-friendly buttons, or touch controls to choose pieces and enter a move.
3. After each move, check what opened, cleared, or became blocked. Good play comes from planning the next position rather than only reacting to the current one.
4. Use the restart control to deal a fresh puzzle when you want another attempt.
5. Keep testing legal moves until the board meets its goal. The game records your progress while the puzzle stays on the page.

• Move each block only along its long axis. Blocks cannot overlap or leave the six-by-six grid. Clear the red car's lane to move it to the right exit.
• Every move must follow the displayed board geometry. A move that would leave the board or break a connection is rejected.
• The goal is to finish the complete position, not merely improve one row, tile group, or lane.
• This implementation runs locally in the browser and does not require an account or download.

• Identify which blocks directly obstruct the target, then solve their dependencies. Move a blocker only as far as needed, preserve empty spaces, and count reversible moves instead of rushing toward the exit.
• Look for forced moves first. A piece with one legal destination often gives more information than a flexible piece.
• Work from constraints that affect several neighbors. One placement can remove multiple candidates.
• Leave room for recovery. Avoid filling a narrow lane or consuming a rare match before checking the rest of the board.
• When stuck, compare two candidate moves and choose the one that exposes more legal follow-ups.

• Beginner board: A smaller position with fewer moving parts and shorter sessions.
• Advanced board: Longer vehicles and tighter starting positions create deeper dependency chains.
• Timed practice: Replay the same type of puzzle while trying to reduce moves without sacrificing accuracy.

• The objective stays visible, so progress feels measurable.
• Each move changes the future shape of the puzzle and rewards careful observation.
• Short sessions make it easy to play during a break, while replaying supports personal bests.
• The controls are simple enough for a first attempt and precise enough for repeat practice.

Play Sliding Blocks free online above. The game loads in your browser, works on modern phones and computers, and needs no installation. Read the rules, make a first move, then use the board's feedback to improve your next run.

The best way to learn Sliding Blocks is to play a complete round, notice which choices changed the board, and try again with that knowledge. Start a free puzzle above and build a method that fits your pace.

• ThinkFun: Rush Hour game history