Three Disks

Stack, slide, and unstack three stubborn disks until every one lands exactly where it belongs—sounds simple until move five humbles you.

Three Disks is the kind of puzzle that looks laughably easy until you're three moves in and realize you've boxed yourself into a corner. You get three disks—small, medium, large—and three pegs. The goal is to move the entire stack from the left peg to the right peg, moving one disk at a time, and never dropping a bigger disk on top of a smaller one. Tap a disk to select it, tap a peg to drop it. That's the whole rulebook. No timers, no score chasing, just you versus a deceptively simple logic problem. I nearly dismissed it after my first attempt. I moved the small disk to the target peg, then the medium, and then paused—where does the small go? That tiny moment of confusion is exactly what makes this puzzle so replayable. You have to think two, sometimes three moves ahead, which sounds dramatic but really just means not trapping your only free disk. The seven-move solution is famous for a reason: it forces you to use the middle peg as a staging area. Once that clicks, you'll want to beat your own time or move count. It's the perfect brain reset between class periods or meetings, and because it runs on HTML5, it loads in seconds and works with just taps.

Tap on the screen to play this game

• Always free the smallest disk first—it's your only real tool for unsticking the puzzle. • Don't park the medium disk on top of the large one too early; you'll block your own path. • Aim for 7 moves. That's the theoretical minimum for three disks, and it's very doable. • Tap deliberately; the game has no undo, so each tap counts. • Use the middle peg as a temporary holding spot—that's the secret. • If you get stuck, start over. It's faster than trying to reverse four moves.

Q: Is Three Disks free to play? A: Yes, it's completely free in your browser with no hidden paywalls. Q: Can I play Three Disks on my phone? A: Absolutely. It works on any touchscreen mobile browser, no extra app needed. Q: Do I need to download anything to play Three Disks? A: No downloads. The game runs right in your web browser via HTML5. Q: What's the goal in Three Disks? A: Move all three disks to the target peg without placing a larger disk on a smaller one. Q: Is Three Disks suitable for kids? A: Yes, it's a gentle puzzle that teaches logical thinking and patience. Q: How many moves should I aim for in Three Disks? A: The optimal solution for three disks is 7 moves. Can you match that?