How to play Picture Swap
Play Picture Swap
The rules
- The picture is cut into square tiles, and the tiles are scrambled.
- Swap any two tiles to move them to their places.
- On the hard and expert levels the tiles also come turned. Turn each tile until it is upright.
- Every swap and every turn is one move.
- The puzzle is solved when every tile is in its place and upright.
How to play here
- Tap a tile, then tap another tile to swap them, or drag one tile onto another.
- To turn a tile, tap it, then tap it again (or press R).
- Keyboard: Tab moves between tiles, Enter picks a tile, the arrow keys choose another tile, Enter swaps the two, R turns the picked tile and Escape cancels.
- Undo takes back a move. Hint shows a tile to move; press it again to see where it goes.
- The picture is never mirrored, also on right-to-left pages.
Difficulty levels
| Level |
Tiles |
Turned tiles |
| Easy |
9 (3 × 3) |
No |
| Medium |
16 (4 × 4) |
No |
| Hard |
16 (4 × 4) |
Yes |
| Expert |
25 (5 × 5) |
Yes |
Tips
- Start with tiles that are easy to see, such as a horizon, a face or a bright sky.
- Swap a tile straight to its place: each swap can put at least one tile right.
- On the turned levels, put the tiles in place first, then turn them upright.
FAQ
- How do I swap two tiles?
- Tap one tile to pick it, then tap another tile. The two tiles change places. You can also drag one tile onto another.
- How do I turn a tile?
- On the hard and expert levels the tiles come turned. Tap a tile to pick it, then tap it again to turn it a quarter turn. On a keyboard, press R.
- What does "Fewest possible" mean?
- It is the smallest number of swaps and turns that solves the puzzle. Your move count shows how close you came.
- Can I see the whole picture?
- Yes. The "Show the picture" button shows the complete picture over the tiles. Press it again to go back to the puzzle. It is not counted as a move.
- Where do the pictures come from?
- From Wikimedia Commons: paintings by artists such as Van Gogh, Monet and Hokusai, space images from NASA and ESA, and nature photos. Every picture is in the public domain or free to use (CC0).
- Is there a new puzzle every day?
- Yes, at each of the four levels. There are 30 pictures, and at each level they come in a fixed order, so the same puzzle comes back after 30 days. Earlier puzzles are in the archive.
- Do I need an account to play?
- No. You play right in your browser, with no sign-up and no cookies. Your progress is saved in your browser.
