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Tower of Hanoi

Move the tower, one disc at a time, never big on small.

🧠 Logic & Brain 1 2–10 min
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About Tower of Hanoi

The classic Tower of Hanoi puzzle with 3 to 8 discs. Move the whole stack from the left rod to the right rod. You can only move one disc at a time, and a disc can never sit on a smaller one. The fewest possible moves is shown as you play (2ⁿ − 1), so you always know how close to perfect you are. Stuck? A hint shows the next move on a shortest route from wherever you are.

How to play Tower of Hanoi

  1. Tap a rod to lift its top disc.
  2. Tap another rod to drop it there.
  3. Never put a bigger disc on a smaller one.
  4. Get the whole tower onto the right-hand rod.

Tips and strategy

  • With an odd number of discs, move the smallest disc to the goal rod first; with an even number, to the middle one.
  • The smallest disc moves every other turn, always in the same direction around the rods.
  • Think recursively: to move n discs, move n − 1 out of the way first.

Tower of Hanoi FAQ

What's the fewest moves?

2ⁿ − 1 for n discs: 7 for three, 15 for four, 255 for eight.

Why is it called the Tower of Hanoi?

It was published by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1883, along with a made-up legend about a temple tower.

Is Tower of Hanoi free to play?

Yes. Tower of Hanoi is free in your browser on OFF PLAY, with nothing to download or install.

Find more logic & brain games, browse all free games or check the leaderboards.

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