Rush Hour Puzzle Solver (Unblock Me / parking puzzle)
Set up the 6×6 sliding-car puzzle your child is stuck on and see the fewest moves to get the red car out, step by step, or just a hint for the next move
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For when a child is stuck on a sliding-car puzzle card. Copy the card onto the board and see the shortest way out move by move, or only the next move.
How to use
- Choose "Set up the board", press "Clear board", then add each vehicle with "Car, across", "Car, upright", "Truck, across" or "Truck, upright" and drag it to its place on the card.
- Slide the red car along the third row to match the card. Tap a chosen vehicle again or press "Turn" to change its direction.
- Press "Solve". The fewest moves appear; "Next", "Previous" and "Play" step through them, and an arrow marks each move.
- To let the child find the way, press "Hint: next move only". It shows one move; "Make this move" does it.
- In "Play", drag vehicles along their lane and press "Solve from here" at any point. "Example puzzles" has 40 boards in four levels.
How it works
- A move slides one vehicle any distance in one direction, as puzzle cards count. A breadth-first search checks positions in order of moves needed, so its first answer is the shortest. It runs in your browser.
- When there is no solution, the page says so. Usually a vehicle was copied wrongly, or a car lies across the exit row to the right of the red car.
- The example puzzles were made for this page, not taken from any card set. The board and settings are kept only in this browser.
Questions and answers
- How do I solve a Rush Hour card my child is stuck on
- Copy the card in "Set up the board" and press "Solve". "Next" shows the moves one at a time.
- Can I get just a hint instead of the whole answer
- Yes. "Hint: next move only" shows a single move with an arrow. Press it again after each move.
- What counts as one move
- Sliding one car or truck in one direction, however many squares it travels.
- Why does it say there is no solution
- The red car cannot reach the exit from that position. Check each vehicle against the card, especially truck lengths and directions.
- Does this work for Unblock Me and other parking puzzles
- Yes, for any 6×6 puzzle with 2-square cars, 3-square trucks and the exit at the right of the third row.