Sokoban Guide, Rules, and Tips
Sokoban is a classic box-pushing puzzle. You control a warehouse keeper who must push every box onto a target square. The rules are tiny, but because boxes can only be pushed and never pulled, one careless move can make a level impossible, so each level rewards thinking several steps ahead.
How to Play
- Move the keeper up, down, left, or right through empty floor.
- Walk into a box to push it one square, as long as the square behind it is free.
- Boxes cannot be pulled, and you cannot push two boxes at once.
- A level is complete when every box sits on a target. Move on through the level list at your own pace.
Strategy and Tips
- Never push a box into a corner that is not a target; it can never be moved out again.
- Avoid pushing boxes flat against a wall unless there is a target along that wall.
- Work out the order in which boxes need to reach their targets before you start pushing.
- Use undo freely; experimenting is the fastest way to find the key move in a level.
Controls
Use the arrow keys or WASD to move, Z to undo, and R to restart the level. On touch screens, use the on-screen direction buttons. Level Select lets you jump between levels.
Background
Sokoban, Japanese for warehouse keeper, was created by Hiroyuki Imabayashi and published by Thinking Rabbit in 1982. It has since become a standard test problem in artificial intelligence research because of how quickly its puzzles grow in complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
I pushed a box into a corner. What now?
A box in a non-target corner can never be recovered. Press Z to undo or R to restart the level.
Can I pull boxes?
No. Boxes can only be pushed, which is what makes Sokoban a puzzle.
How do I get better at Sokoban?
Plan the final position of each box first and work backward. Our Sokoban puzzle tips cover the common deadlock patterns.