Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Scramble is a new version of the classic 15-puzzle, available for iPhone and iPod Touch through the iTunes App Store.  The 15-puzzle created a puzzle sensation in the 1870s and has been a favorite of puzzle enthusiasts ever since.

This version allows you to scramble a photo from your camera or photo library, or use a preset image to create the movable tiles.  There are also several challenge modes:

* Race against the clock: chess prodigy Bobby Fischer could solve the puzzle in 25 seconds -- how fast are you?
* Minimize moves (every solvable configuration can be solved in at most 80 moves).
* Fade challenge: each tile gradually fades away until you find its correct position.

I've also included Sam Loyd's original "challenge" in which only the 14 and 15 tiles are switched.  He offered $1000 (no small sum in the 1870s) for the first correct solution to this puzzle, a prize which was never claimed...

Send feedback, requests, and bug reports to scramblepuzzle 'at' gmail.com.
Happy puzzling!