Puzzles

Contents

JavaScript Sliding Puzzles
Android Panex
Java Puzzles
X Puzzles (and Windows too)
Notes

JavaScript Sliding Puzzles

Sliding Puzzles Different Puzzle Configurations using JavaScript
Configurations JS
Cubes cubes
Triangles triangles
Hexagons hexagons
Missing Link missing link
Barrel barrel
Panex, Algorithme, Hanoi
Let me know of any problems here. The Java below has more features, but can no longer run in your browser ... sigh.

For Cubes, Triangles, and Hexagons, its done when you get them in order (left to right and then up and down) and blank space(s) on bottom and on right hand side. If its not too big and you have a good solution, mail me the results of a "Put Cookie" (i.e. a save) and "Write Cookie" (subject "Cubes", "Triangles", or "Hexagons"). I will try to compile some list.

Try the Panex puzzle with 3 modes "Hanoi", "Algorithme", and Panex mode. All have has the general minimum move auto-solve. Step through with undo/redo.

NewRecently added Triangles puzzle now with a no corners mode.

Some of these puzzles are very difficult. Here is a list in order of perceived complexity:
Hexagons (corners unselected) (about Kindergarten level)
Triangles (corners selected)
Panex (Tower of Hanoi option) (about 3rd grade level)
Cubes
Panex (Algorithme option)
Mlink
Triangles (corners unselected)
Panex (Panex option)
Hexagons (corners selected)
Barrel

Also try Cubes, Triangles, and Hexagons. If you beat the score on these puzzles, write out using "w", and send the data (cookie or file) to me. I started a list (see "Triangles stuff and Hexagons stuff" below). These puzzles and Panex have preset starting positions, the rest have random starting positions.

See project notes for todo list and history.


Android Panex

Sliding Puzzle for my phone Sliding Puzzle Implementation for Android
Icon Source Code Executable
Panex.zip Panex.apk

Panex, Algorithme, and Hanoi puzzles are contained in this zip. Unzip somewhere and then put in Eclipse like File->Project->Android Project from Existing Code. Then build, install, and run as usual. Any trouble building and getting on your Android, let me know so I can make fixes or better instructions.

See project notes for todo list and history.


Java Puzzles

Click on one of the puzzles below to down load the Java source or jar file (need Java 8 JVM) written mostly by David Bagley. The X Manual Pages are written for the X versions but may be useful to understanding the Java programs. You can download the jar file (preserve the extension), and then it can be run as an application by prefixing the jar file name with "java -jar ". (The puzzles used to be able to run as applets but browsers and Oracle have dropped support.)

Sliding Puzzles

Sliding Puzzles Sliding Puzzle Implementations for Java
Icon Source Code X Manual Page Jar File
Cubes cubes.zip xcubes CubesApp.jar
Triangles triangles.zip xtriangles TrianglesApp.jar
Hexagons hexagons.zip xhexagons HexagonsApp.jar
Mlink mlink.zip xmlink MlinkApp.jar
Barrel barrel.zip xbarrel BarrelApp.jar
panex.zip xpanex PanexApp.jar

For Cubes, Mlink, and Barrel go to menu and click on "Number" (a toggle), if you prefer looking at a mandrill. The barrel puzzle now has an auto-solve too.

Try the Panex puzzle with 3 modes "Hanoi", "Algorithme", and Panex mode. All have has the general minimum move auto-solve.

Try the auto-solve for skewb, dino, and mball (masterball). Now all puzzles have some sort of auto-solve except triangles and hexagons. mball can simulate and solve the Saturn Puzzle (8 wedges and 1 band) and an oriented Masterball (i.e. numbers on them). Included is a way of swapping only 2 segments, which is done in 31 moves on an oriented Masterball. The Hockey Puck puzzle (12 wedges and 1 band but with no center disk) can also be simulated, where the auto-solve has been updated to work here as well. mball recently updated to auto-solve for wedges <= 8 _or_ 1 band.

Rotational Puzzles

Rotational Puzzles Rotational Puzzle Implementations for Java
Icon Source Code X Manual Page Jar File
Mball mball.zip xmball MballApp.jar
Pyraminx pyraminx.zip xpyraminx PyraminxApp.jar
Oct oct.zip xoct OctApp.jar
Rubik rubik.zip xrubik RubikApp.jar
Skewb skewb.zip xskewb SkewbApp.jar
Dino dino.zip xdino DinoApp.jar
Bevel bevel.zip xbevel BevelApp.jar

See project notes for todo list and history.


X Puzzles (and Windows too)

Still my favorite Puzzles Puzzles Implementation for X (Linux and friends) and Windows
Latest Source Latest Windows Man Page README LSM Older Versions Ancient Versions
xpuzzles-latest.tar.xz wpuzzles-latest.zip See above for each puzzle under X Manual Page xpuzzles.README xpuzzles.lsm At SillyCycle At Ibiblio

Latest UNIX/VMS version is 8.7.7 and was written in C/C++. Windows version has same source and compiled with MinGW.

NewRecently added xbevel (Helicopter Cube).

See project notes for todo list and history.

Notes

Cubes stuff

solution description
86 move best known solution size 4x4x1
68 move best known solution size 5x3x1
18 move best solution size 2x2x2
Breadth First Search Program for Cubes Puzzle updated 2022 (orig circa 10 Jul 2021)
Original X11 "puzzle" (I did not write this) with some minor bug fixes

Triangles stuff

solution description
19 move best solution size 1x3
16 move best solution size 1x3 no corners
58 move best known solution size 1x4
120 move best known solution size 1x4 no corners
Breadth First Search Program for Triangles Puzzle updated 2022 (orig circa 20 Aug 2021)

Hexagons stuff

hand made 17 puzzle start position hand made 17 puzzle finish position
solution description
126 move best known solution size 3x3
44 move best known solution size 3x3 no corners
Breadth First Search Program for Hexagons Puzzle updated 2022 (orig circa 20 Jul 2021)

Panex stuff

Breadth First Search Program for Panex Puzzle 1-10 updated 2021 - 2022 (orig circa Nov 2004 and 25 Oct 2008)
Breadth First Search Program for Algorithme Puzzle updated 2021 - 2022 (orig circa 25 Oct 2008)

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Last Revised: 29 February 2024