Animated mechanism explainer

How a Sliding-Panel Puzzle Box Works

A sliding-panel box hides its release by making one movement change what another panel can do.

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Drawer

Hidden constraints

A panel may travel only a few millimetres until another panel exposes a groove or removes a stop.

State and sequence

Opening depends on the state of several parts at once. A move that appears pointless may be necessary because it changes the next legal move.

Model variations

Real boxes vary greatly. Move counts, panel directions and reset sequences are model-specific, so a generic animation should never be treated as the answer to an unidentified box.

Animation pauses automatically when your device requests reduced motion.

Puzzle instruction image