Animal Klotski

Animal Klotski is a digital puzzle game released in 2023, developed by independent studio Pineapple Works. The game is a themed variant of the classic sliding block puzzle Klotski, which originated in China as Huarong Dao. The objective is to slide a set of animal-shaped blocks within a confined rectangular grid to allow a specific target block, typically a larger animal, to exit through a designated opening at the bottom of the board. The game features a single-player mode with 120 distinct levels, each presenting a unique initial arrangement of blocks. The blocks are rendered as stylized, flat-shaded animal icons, including a fox, a rabbit, a bear, and a deer, with the target block being a larger wolf. The grid size is fixed at 4 rows by 5 columns for all levels. The game includes a level editor, allowing players to create and share custom puzzles. No in-game purchases or advertisements are present. The soundtrack consists of ambient forest sounds with no melodic elements.

Gameplay is turn-based and requires no real-time input. The player interacts with the game using a mouse or touch input. To move a block, the player clicks or taps on the block and then drags it to an adjacent empty space within the grid. Blocks can only move horizontally or vertically, one cell at a time, and cannot be rotated or lifted. The player must plan a sequence of moves to clear a path for the wolf block to slide downward to the exit slot at the bottom center of the grid. The game provides an undo button to reverse the last move, a reset button to return the puzzle to its starting configuration, and a move counter that displays the total number of moves made. No timer or score system is present. The interface displays the current level number and a menu for selecting any previously unlocked level. The level editor allows the player to place blocks on an empty grid by selecting a block type from a palette and clicking on grid cells. The player can then test the puzzle and save it as a custom level file. Controls are limited to these actions, with no keyboard shortcuts beyond the escape key to access the pause menu.