Ravle

About Ravle

Ravle mixes the old fifteen-puzzle with a word game. The board is a grid of letter tiles with one blank, and every row has to become a word from today's category, such as Math Terms. On the 4x4 board the answers are three four-letter words and a three-letter word beside the blank; on the 5x5 board there are four five-letter words and a four-letter one.

You move by selecting any tile in the blank's row or column: every tile between them shifts along together, and the whole slide counts as one move. That makes it quicker than a classic sliding puzzle, but you still have to think about the order, because moving one row's letters disturbs its neighbours.

Check board marks each row against its own answer: green for the right letter in the right spot, yellow for a letter that belongs elsewhere in that row, grey for one that belongs in another row. Checking does not end the puzzle, so you can use it as often as you like, but it is counted.

Your moves, checks and active time are recorded, with leaderboards for each board size. The two sizes keep separate progress, the timer pauses when you switch, and an archive holds earlier days. Revealing the answer ends the attempt and leaves it out of the rankings.

How to play Ravle

1. Choose the 4x4 or 5x5 board and read today's category.
2. Select a tile in the blank's row or column to slide the tiles between them into the blank.
3. Arrange the letters so each row spells a word from the category.
4. Press Check board for green, yellow and grey hints on every row.
5. Finish when every row is right, in as few moves and checks as you can.

Tips

• Work out the words from the category and the letters before you start sliding.
• Grey tiles belong in another row: move those first.
• Solve the top rows first and keep them still while you fix the bottom ones.

Questions