Sokoban is also called a box pushing puzzle. The name is Japanese and means warehouse keeper. The first Sokoban game came out in Japan in the early 1980s.
The rules
- You move one square at a time: up, down, left or right.
- To push a crate, stand next to it and move toward it. The crate moves 1 square the same way.
- A crate can only move onto empty floor.
- You cannot push 2 crates at once.
- You cannot walk through walls or crates.
- You can never pull a crate.
- A crate on a ring can still be pushed off again.
- The puzzle is solved when every ring has a crate on it.
Classic Sokoban levels can be very big, with many crates. Quirk keeps the boards small: at most 7 squares across and 7 down, with 1 to 3 crates.
A worked example
The board has 3 rows and 3 columns of floor, with walls all around. You stand in the top left corner. The crate is in the middle. The ring is in the bottom right corner.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | You | Floor | Floor |
| Row 2 | Floor | Crate | Floor |
| Row 3 | Floor | Floor | Ring |
- The crate must go 1 square down and 1 square right. So you need 2 pushes: one down and one right.
- To push the crate down, you must stand above it. Walk right to row 1, column 2.
- Push down. The crate moves to row 3, column 2. You move into row 2, column 2.
- To push the crate right, you must stand on its left. Walk left to row 2, column 1, then down to row 3, column 1.
- Push right. The crate moves onto the ring in row 3, column 3. The puzzle is solved.
You could also push right first and then down. Both ways work.
Now see what can go wrong. Say you push the crate right first, so it sits in row 2, column 3. If you then push it up, it lands in the top right corner. There is no ring there, and you can never get behind it again. The crate is stuck, so you need Undo or Reset.
Beginner techniques
Stand behind the crate
Before each push, find the square on the far side of the crate. You must stand there, and the square in front of the crate must be empty.
Walk around to reach another side
You cannot pull a crate. To push it a new way, walk around it to the other side first. Check that there is room to walk.
Stay away from empty corners
A crate pushed into a corner without a ring is stuck for good. A crate pushed flat against a wall can only slide along that wall.
Fill the far ring first
With 2 or 3 crates, think about the order. Filling a near ring too soon can block the path to the others.
Park a crate and come back
Sometimes a crate is in the way. Push it to a side spot where you can still get behind it later. Then move the other crate and push the parked one back.
Common mistakes
- Pushing a crate into a corner that has no ring.
- Pushing a crate against a wall when its ring is not on that wall.
- Pushing before checking where you need to stand for the next push.
- Filling the closest ring first and blocking a narrow hall.
- Forgetting that you can move a crate off a ring again.
Questions
Is Sokoban the same as a box pushing puzzle?
Yes. Box pushing puzzle is another name for the same idea. In Quirk, the boxes are crates and the goals are rings.
Can I pull a crate?
No. You can only push. That is what makes you plan ahead.
Is there only one way to solve a board?
No. Any route that ends with a crate on every ring wins. It does not matter where you finish.
Do moves and pushes count?
Quirk shows how many moves and pushes you made. You still win with any route that fills every ring.
What if a crate gets stuck?
Use Undo to go back one step, or Reset to start the board again. When you are not stuck, a hint shows you steps that work.
How big are the boards?
The boards are at most 7 by 7 squares, with 1 to 3 crates. Zoom makes a large board bigger on your screen.
Related puzzles
Playing it in Quirk
Tap empty floor to walk there. To push, stand next to a crate and tap it, or swipe that way. A small arrow shows each crate you can push from where you stand.
Notes lets you mark floor squares. Guide describes the board. Zoom makes a large board bigger. You find Undo and Reset in the game controls.
