How to Play Sixteen
Sixteen is a sliding puzzle without a hole: you push whole lines of numbers round like a ring.
The rules
- The numbers 1 to n² are scrambled on a 3×3, 4×4 or 5×5 grid.
- A move slides a whole row left or right, or a whole column up or down, by one step. The number pushed off one end comes back at the other.
- Put the numbers back in reading order: 1 at the top left, n² at the bottom right.
Playing on kawu
Tap the arrows around the grid to slide each row and column. Squares holding the right number turn green. Hint searches for a short way home and shows its first move. Undo is allowed. The daily puzzle is 4×4 and timed.
Next: Sixteen solving tips. Prefer turning blocks? Try Twiddle.
Frequently asked questions
How is Sixteen different from the fifteen puzzle?
There is no gap. Every move slides a whole row or column, and the number pushed off one edge reappears at the other, so all the numbers in that line move at once.
Last updated 2026-10-21