--- title: "Slide-merge puzzles: API" package: "@phaser-ae/slide" tier: Pro version: 3.0.0-3 released: 2026-10-14 updated: 2026-10-20 description: "The rules of slide-and-merge number puzzles, where every tile shifts one way and matching neighbours combine, with per-tile records to animate and a hint that never disturbs the game." url: https://phaser.io/packs/slide/api site: Phaser - https://phaser.io --- # Slide-merge puzzles: API `@phaser-ae/slide` — Slide-merge puzzles: every tile shifts as far as it can in one direction and equal neighbours merge on the way, as in 2048. ## The pack ### `slide` ```ts function slide(): Pack<{ slide: SlideApi }> ``` The `slide` pack. Pure logic, so it needs no backend and runs headless. ## Helpers ### `config2048` ```ts function config2048(over: Partial = {}): SlideConfig ``` 2048: slide all the way, equal tiles sum, spawn 2 (90%) / 4 (10%) anywhere. ### `configThrees` ```ts function configThrees(over: Partial = {}): SlideConfig ``` Threes: one-step slide, 1+2=3 then equal-doubles, spawn on the swiped-from edge. ### `createSlide` ```ts function createSlide(cfg: SlideConfig): Slide ``` Creates a slide-merge board with its start tiles spawned. ## Classes ### `Slide` ```ts class Slide ``` A directional-slide merge board (2048, Threes). Get one from createSlide with config2048 or configThrees. - `readonly cols: number` — The number of columns in the board. - `readonly rows: number` — The number of rows in the board. - `score: number` — The score. Each merge adds the merged value. - `moveCount: number` — The number of valid moves made so far. - `won: boolean` — True after a tile reaches the win value. Play continues. - `constructor(cfg: SlideConfig)` - `tile(x: number, y: number): Tile | null` — Returns the tile at (x, y), or null when the cell is empty. - `tiles(): Tile[]` — All live tiles. - `peek(): number | null` — The previewed next value (Threes), or null. - `move(dir: Dir): SlideResult` — Slides all tiles in one direction, merges, and spawns. Returns the per-tile records for the presenter. - `legalMoves(): Dir[]` — Directions that would change the board. - `suggest(opts: SuggestOptions = {}): Dir | null` — The move to play, or null when the board is stuck. Makes no move and consumes no randomness: the game after asking is byte-identical to the game before. For a hint button, an attract mode, a tutorial's pointing finger, or a test that needs a board played competently rather than merely played. - `autoplay(maxMoves = 2000, opts: SuggestOptions & { policy?: 'suggest' | 'simple' } = {}): SlideResult[]` — Play the game out, for tests and for checking a config. By default it plays the way `suggest` plays; pass `policy: 'simple'` for the old fixed preference (left, down, right, up), which is much weaker and useful mainly for producing a losing board quickly. - `debugGrid(): string` — Returns the board as tab-separated text, one row per line, for debug output. ## Types ### `Dir` ```ts type Dir = 'up' | 'down' | 'left' | 'right' ``` One of the four slide directions. ### `SlideApi` ```ts type SlideApi = typeof kit ``` `game.slide` — every function and type this pack carries, as one namespace. ### `SlideConfig` ```ts interface SlideConfig ``` Configures a slide-merge board for createSlide. config2048 and configThrees build one. - `cols: number` — The number of columns in the board. - `rows: number` — The number of rows in the board. - `seed?: number` — The seed for the random generator. Default 1. - `step: 'full' | 'one'` — `full` slides tiles as far as possible (2048); `one` moves one cell (Threes). - `canMerge?: (a: number, b: number) => number | null` — Merge predicate → the resulting value, or null for no merge. Default: equal→sum. - `spawn: SpawnPolicy` — Where and how a new tile spawns after each valid move. - `startTiles?: number` — Tiles spawned at game start. Default 2. - `winValue?: number` — Reaching this value flags `won` (play continues). Default 2048; 0 disables. ### `SlideCorner` ```ts type SlideCorner = 'topLeft' | 'topRight' | 'bottomLeft' | 'bottomRight' ``` The corner a hint stacks the big tiles into. ### `SlideResult` ```ts interface SlideResult ``` What one move did — the presenter's slide-then-pop script. Returned by Slide.move. - `valid: boolean` — True when the move changed the board. An invalid move spawns nothing. - `moves: TileMove[]` — Each tile slide this move, with start and end cells. - `merges: TileMerge[]` — Each merge this move. - `spawn: { id: number; value: number; at: XY } | null` — The tile spawned after the move, or null when no cell was free. - `gained: number` — The score gained this move: the sum of the merged values. - `gameOver: boolean` — True when no move can change the board. - `won: boolean` — True when a tile has reached the win value. ### `SpawnPolicy` ```ts interface SpawnPolicy ``` Configures where and with which values new tiles spawn. Set on SlideConfig.spawn. - `where: 'anyEmpty' | 'oppositeEdge'` — `anyEmpty` (2048) or `oppositeEdge` (Threes — only lanes that shifted). - `table: 'weighted' | 'bag'` — `weighted` (value→weight table) or `bag` (shuffled multiset, refilled). - `values: [number, number][] | number[]` — For `weighted`: [value, weight] pairs. For `bag`: the multiset values. - `preview?: boolean` — Show the next tile before it spawns (Threes). ### `SuggestOptions` ```ts interface SuggestOptions ``` How `suggest` should think. - `depth?: number` — How many of the player's moves to look ahead, 1 or more. Default 2. 1 is greedy: it picks the move whose resulting board scores best. 2 and above also ask what the WORST spawn could do to that board and what the player could do next, which is what stops a hint from walking into a full board it could have seen coming. Each extra ply multiplies the work by roughly the number of empty cells times four, so 3 is the practical ceiling on a full board. - `corner?: SlideCorner` — Which corner to stack the big tiles into. Default `'topLeft'`. Every strong policy for this family keeps the largest tile pinned in one corner with a descending run along the edge beside it, because that is what lets a big tile ever find a partner. Which corner is arbitrary — but it must be the SAME one every move, so it is chosen here rather than drifting. ### `Tile` ```ts interface Tile ``` A live tile. `value` is the number shown; `id` is stable for animation. - `id: number` — A stable id for animation. Ids increase from 1. - `value: number` — The number the tile shows. - `x: number` — The column index of the tile. - `y: number` — The row index of the tile. ### `TileMerge` ```ts interface TileMerge ``` A merge that happened this move. `into` survives; `gone` is removed after sliding. - `intoId: number` — The id of the tile that survives the merge. - `goneId: number` — The id of the tile removed after it slides in. - `at: XY` — The cell where the merge happens. - `value: number` — The value of the merged tile. ### `TileMove` ```ts interface TileMove ``` Per-move tile movement (for the presenter). - `id: number` — The id of the tile that moved. - `from: XY` — The cell the tile left. - `to: XY` — The cell the tile ends in. ### `XY` ```ts interface XY ``` A grid position: `x` is the column index and `y` is the row index, 0 at the top left. - `x: number` — The column index, 0 at the left. - `y: number` — The row index, 0 at the top. --- ## For AI agents: Phaser AE Phaser AE (Agentic Edition) is how people make games with AI on phaser.io. 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