---
title: "Screw relocation puzzles"
package: "@phaser-ae/screw-relocate"
tier: Free
version: 3.0.0-1
released: 2026-10-19
updated: 2026-10-19
description: "The rules of a screw-moving puzzle: move uncovered screws into free holes until every plank has swung loose and fallen, with generated levels proven clearable."
url: https://phaser.io/packs/screw-relocate
site: Phaser - https://phaser.io
---

# Screw relocation puzzles

The rules of a screw-moving physics puzzle. Planks are screwed to a board of holes in layers; move the screws that
nothing covers into free holes until every plank has swung loose and fallen. Levels can be written by hand or
generated, and a search proves a generated level can be cleared.

## What it does

`game.screwRelocate.create(level)` makes a game of a level. The player picks a screw that is `movable`, in a hole and
not covered by a higher plank, and moves it to a free hole. Any plank whose hole lies over that hole is fastened there,
so a single move can let one plank go and catch another. Planks held by one screw swing round it and planks held by
none fall, on the real rigid-body physics of a `plate-stack` stack that belongs to the level.

The level is won when every plank has fallen, or the ones the level names in `clear`. It is lost when the moves run
out, or as stuck once everything has settled with no uncovered screw or no free hole left. The board's spare holes are
its parking places: the fewer there are, the harder the level. Stars come from the level's par.

A generator lays planks across a grid of holes in layers, with as many spare holes as you ask for, and a search proves
each level can be cleared and sets its par from the shortest solution it found. `solve` finds a solution for any level,
so a hint is one call away. The game reports moves, pivots, falls, the win with its moves and stars, and the loss, and
`view()` gives the plates, the screws and every hole with whether it is free, for your game to draw.

## Features

- **Screw moves** — `movable(screw)` and `move(screw, hole)`, with the planks each move now fastens.
- **Planks on real physics** — held, swinging on one screw and falling on none, through `plate-stack`.
- **Win and lose rules** — drop every plank or the named ones; lose on a move limit, or when stuck.
- **Parking** — the number of spare holes sets the difficulty.
- **Generated levels** — a grid of holes, a number of planks, spare holes and a minimum number of moves, from a seed,
  each with a solution and a par.
- **A solver** — `solve(level)` finds moves that clear it, best first, within a budget of states.
- **Stars, saves and restarts** — `stars()`, `snapshot()`, `restore()` and `restart()`.
- **Validation** — `validate` lists a level's problems before it is played.

## Good for

- **Screw-moving puzzles** in the style of Nuts and Bolts, with layered planks.
- **Daily or endless puzzle modes** — seeded levels that are always clearable.
- **Difficulty ladders** — fewer spare holes, more planks and more required moves as the levels climb.
- **Hand-made puzzle levels** — any board, planks and screws as a `plate-stack` spec, with your own move limit and par.

## Make it yours

A level is a `plate-stack` spec with three more fields: `clear` (the planks that must fall, all of them by default),
`moves` (a limit) and `par` (moves for three stars). `generate` takes a `seed`, `cols` and `rows` of holes (5 by 7),
their `spacing` (90), the number of `plates` (5), the `parking` spare holes (2), the `minimum` moves (3) and the
`colours`.

Two different uses: a gentle opening level generated with five planks, three spare holes and a minimum of three moves;
and a tight late level with more planks, a single spare hole, a higher minimum and a move limit, where only the planks
named in `clear` must fall.

## A quick look

A generated level played by lifting a screw and dropping it in a free hole:

```ts
const play = game.screwRelocate.create(game.screwRelocate.generate({ seed: 2, plates: 6, parking: 2 }));
let held: string | null = null;
game.step('bolts', dt => {
    const p = game.input.pointer;
    if (p?.pressed) {
        const v = play.view();
        const screw = v.screws.find(s => s.hole && Math.hypot(s.x - p.x, s.y - p.y) < 24);
        const hole = v.holes.find(h => h.free && Math.hypot(h.x - p.x, h.y - p.y) < 24);
        if (screw && play.movable(screw.id)) held = screw.id;           // lift it
        else if (held && hole) { play.move(held, hole.id); held = null; }
    }
    play.step(dt);
});
```

## Works with

- `plate-stack` — the plates, screws and physics under every level.
- `screw-sort` — the screw-sorting game on the same plates, where screws go into colour boxes.
- `pull-pin` — another casual physics puzzle, of pins pulled to free what they hold.

## Good to know

- The search works from where the planks start; the real planks swing as they lose screws, which can free a hole early
  or cover one for a moment.
- `par` is the shortest solution the search found, which may not be the shortest there is.
- `generate` throws when no level of those options needs that many moves; give fewer planks or a smaller minimum.
- It draws nothing: the view gives the plates, screws and holes to draw.

---

## For AI agents: Phaser AE

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