The 15 Number Sliding Puzzle, often called the 15 Puzzle, is one of the most enduring logic games ever created. Simple to understand yet deceptively challenging, it has fascinated players for more than a century and continues to inspire modern digital implementations.
The puzzle was invented in the 1870s by Noyes Palmer Chapman and gained massive popularity in the late 19th century. At the time, it became a cultural phenomenon, with newspapers and mathematicians debating whether all configurations were solvable.
This led to one of the earliest examples of a popular game grounded in formal mathematics.
What Is the 15 Puzzle?
The 15 Puzzle consists of:
- A 4 × 4 grid
- 15 numbered tiles (1 through 15)
- One empty space
Only tiles adjacent to the empty space may move, which introduces the core constraint that makes the puzzle engaging. This version of the game supports both mouse/touch interaction and keyboard arrow controls, making it fast, accessible, and satisfying to play.