Block Escape — Sliding-block escape puzzle (Rush Hour for kids)

Block Escape

For parents

What this teaches

A Rush Hour-style escape puzzle distilled for kids. Solid blocks lock to their lane — wide blocks slide left-right, tall blocks slide up-down. Slide the blockers out of the way so the red block can reach the gap and escape. Phase A (L1-6) teaches the slide on small boards; Phase B is procedural-endless on a 6x6 board, with deeper solutions and a tighter move budget the further you climb. Untimed — pure look-ahead planning. Best score per level persists; total stars accumulate.

Age: Best for ages 5-7

How to play

Drag a block along its lane.
Wide blocks go side to side. Tall blocks go up and down.
Clear a path so the red block reaches the gap.
Fewer moves earn more stars.

What to watch for

If your child is stuck, ask 'which block is in the red one's way?' and free that one first. Working backward from the goal is the core planning skill this puzzle teaches.

Concepts covered

spatial planning (look-ahead, working backward from the goal)
path-clearing: unblock one piece by moving others
move efficiency (solve in fewer slides)
patience and undo-and-retry persistence
endless levels: small-board fluency to 6x6 mastery