Loopover Puzzles
A grid of arrow tiles, scrambled by whole-line shifts. Slide any row left or right, any column up or down — tiles that leave one edge return on the other. Restore the target pattern and the board is solved. Sixty boards from 4×4 to 6×6, every one solvable by construction, every solution explained move by move.
Also known as the loopover game and row and column shift puzzle.
Whole Lines Move, Not Single Tiles
Loopover looks like a sliding tile puzzle and plays nothing like one. There is no empty square and no single-tile move: every tap slides an entire row or an entire column one step, and tiles wrap around the far edge. The board shows a scrambled set of arrows and the goal is fixed — restore the target pattern — so every board starts solvable and stays solvable however badly you mangle it.
How To Solve A Loopover Board
- Read the target. The pattern chip shows which way every arrow must point. Count the tiles already placed before you move anything.
- Fix one line at a time. Work down the rows. A placed tile is only at risk when you shift its column.
- Borrow and return. To change a tile without disturbing solved rows above: shift the row to move the placed tile out of the column, shift the column until the tile you want arrives, then shift the row back and undo the column.
- Use full cycles. Shifting a line its full width or height returns it to the start — a free move that changes nothing while you think.
- Judge your route. The board counts your moves against the length of one clean answer. Matching par is the real win.
Every board is solvable by construction. Each scramble is created by shifting rows and columns away from the target, so the reverse shifts always restore it. The hint button names the next clean move from any position — including a position you made worse.
The Six Board Sizes
| Family | Board | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 4×4 | Sixteen tiles | Every shift is felt at once; the place to learn borrowing |
| 4×5 and 5×6 | Uneven grids | Rows and columns wrap at different lengths |
| 5×5 | The standard | Medium scrambles with room to plan |
| 6×5 and 6×6 | The full boards | The deepest shifts, up to twelve moves of scramble |
Why The Moves Beat The Mouse
The move set is the whole appeal: two buttons per line, no dragging, no diagonal anything. Children pick it up in a minute, and the hint system teaches the borrow-and-return method instead of solving the board for you. Boards are graded by scramble depth, so the step from 4×4 easy to 6×6 hard is a slope rather than a wall.
Loopover Puzzles: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Loopover puzzle?
Loopover is a grid of arrow tiles. A move shifts an entire row left or right, or an entire column up or down, and tiles that leave one edge re-enter on the other. The goal is to slide the lines until the board matches the target pattern.
How do you solve a Loopover puzzle?
Fix one line at a time: move a placed tile out of the way with a row shift, bring the tile you need up its column, then return both. Work down the rows and use full cycles as free thinking time.
Does it matter which moves I use?
No. The restored pattern is the goal, not the route. The board counts your moves against one clean answer so you can judge your line.
Why is every Loopover board solvable?
Each board is scrambled by shifting lines away from the target. Those shifts run backwards restore it, so a solution exists by construction.
How many puzzles are there?
There is no fixed number. Each board is rebuilt from the short seed in the page address, so the supply is effectively unlimited. Copying the board link saves that exact board permanently.
Can I practise one pattern at a time?
Yes. Pick any pattern from the catalogue above and the board switches to that board size and depth only, with its own address you can bookmark or hand out.
Is Loopover good for children?
Yes. Two buttons per line, small boards that solve in a handful of shifts, and a hint that teaches the method move by move. It suits ages eight and up.
What do the arrows on the tiles mean?
Each arrow shows which way its tile points, and the target pattern shows where every arrow must end. Tiles keep their pointing as they travel.