Groovetile

Groovetile is a sliding tile puzzle: slide grooved wooden tiles into the empty squares until they form one path from the blue start tile to the red goal, and the ball rolls home.

How to play

1. Press Play, open Level Pack 1 and pick a level. The first level is open; each one you finish opens the next.
2. Slide: drag a wooden tile toward an empty square next to it. It moves one square.
3. Build the path: line up the grooves from the start tile to the goal tile. Grey tiles with screws are fixed.
4. Finish: as soon as the path is complete, the ball rolls along it and the level ends.
5. Stars: the level gives one star for every star tile the ball rolls over, up to three.

What you see on screen

• Start screen: the Groovetile title, the Play button and a sound button.
• Packs and levels: four level packs with a star count, then a grid of numbered levels.
• The board: a square board with wooden tiles, empty squares, the blue start and the red goal.
• Bottom bar: Restart, the level list and Hint with the number of hints left.
• Level completed: up to three stars and buttons to replay, go to the list or play the next level.

Tips

• Plan the whole star route before you close the path. The level ends the moment the path is complete, so on levels 3 and 4 the shortest finish gave no stars at all.
• Expect three stars to cost more moves. On levels 1 to 5 the shortest finishes took 14 moves in total, the three-star routes 36.
• Clear space first. Most three-star solutions start by sliding tiles into an empty corner to make room, then build the path.
• Read our sliding tile puzzle tips for the numbers behind these tips.

Frequently asked questions

How do I move a tile?

Drag it toward an empty square next to it. Each drag moves it one square. Fixed tiles with screws do not move.

When does a level end?

Immediately when the grooves form a full path from start to goal. The ball rolls and the level is complete.

How do I get three stars?

Make the finished path run over every star tile. A shorter path that skips stars still finishes the level, with fewer stars.

What does the hint do?

It shows the whole finished path in green on the board. You start with five hints.

Is my progress saved?

Yes, your stars and unlocked levels are kept in your browser on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Is Groovetile free to play?

Yes. You can play it in your browser on Yes This Game with no download and no sign-up.