Net Slide (BrainBashers)
Slide whole rows and columns until the cables join every computer into one network.
Every day: Nine new Net Slide puzzles every day, 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5 at Medium, Hard and Very Hard, dated and the same for every visitor, plus a 7x7 weekly special. New puzzle: Midnight GMT (the site lets you set your own time zone).
Net Slide on BrainBashers is a sliding network puzzle. The cable tiles are jumbled, and arrows around the grid shift a whole row or column at a time. You keep sliding until every square is part of one network that links all the computers, without crossing the red walls.
About Net Slide (BrainBashers)
Net Slide is a cousin of BrainBashers' Network puzzle. Instead of rotating tiles where they stand, you move them: each arrow around the edge of the grid shifts its entire row or column along by one square. The goal is the same as in Network: put every cable piece where it belongs so the finished grid forms a single network, every computer is connected to every other, and every square is used. Red lines on the board are walls that the network does not cross, which narrows down where pieces can go.
Kevin Stone's site posts 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5 puzzles every day, each at Medium, Hard and Very Hard, with a 7x7 weekly special. The play page has check, answer and restart buttons, an optional clock and an option to show which squares are already correct. The help page is frank that the puzzle takes some experimenting: most squares fall into place quickly, and the last two are the tricky part, since you have to find a sequence of slides that swaps them.
The puzzles change at midnight GMT or at the time zone you set, and earlier days stay in the date list for a few weeks. No adverts, no account.
It suits players who like sliding-block and Rubik-style puzzles more than pure deduction.
How to play Net Slide (BrainBashers)
- Open the Daily Net Slide page and choose a size and level.
- Click an arrow beside a row or column to slide that whole line one step.
- Line up the cable pieces so they join, keeping the network inside the red walls.
- Carry on until every computer is connected into one network that uses every square.
- Check the result or show the answer; new puzzles appear after midnight GMT.
Tips
- Start with the 3x3 Medium to see how a slide moves pieces around.
- Turn on the option that shows correct squares while you are learning.
- Fix one row or column at a time, then work out slide sequences that leave it in place.
- Expect the last two squares to take the longest: look for a few slides that swap just those two.
Questions
How is Net Slide different from Network?
In Network you rotate tiles where they sit. In Net Slide you do not rotate anything: you move whole rows and columns to put the pieces in place.
What are the red lines?
Walls. The finished network does not cross them.
What sizes are there?
3x3, 4x4 and 5x5 every day at Medium, Hard and Very Hard, plus a 7x7 weekly special.
Is it free?
Yes, with no adverts and no account.
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