Lights Out
Classic Lights Out puzzle. Click any cell and it toggles that cell plus its 4 neighbors. The goal is to turn every light off. Sounds simple, but figuring out the right sequence of clicks is genuinely tricky.
0 lights remaining
Click any cell to start the timer
How to use
- Click any cell - it toggles that cell and its 4 neighbors (up, down, left, right).
- Your goal is to turn ALL 25 lights off. Plan your clicks carefully, since one click affects multiple cells.
- The timer starts on your first click. Solve it in as few moves as possible.
- Daily mode gives everyone the same board. Compare your move count with a friend!
Related tools:
Lights Out is a logic puzzle played on a 5x5 grid of lights. Clicking any cell toggles it and its immediate neighbors (up, down, left, right) between on and off. The goal is to turn every light off. The trick is that every click affects multiple cells, so your moves interact with each other in ways that are not immediately obvious.
The puzzle has a mathematical solution for every starting configuration, which means brute force trial-and-error will eventually work but is slow. The efficient approach is to work row by row from top to bottom, making each row dark before moving on. This method, called the chase-the-lights technique, guarantees a solution with predictable move counts for any starting state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every Lights Out puzzle solvable?
Not every configuration is solvable. The game generates puzzles that are guaranteed to have a solution so you will never be stuck in an impossible state.
What is the minimum number of moves?
It depends on the starting configuration. Some puzzles can be solved in under 10 moves, others require 20 or more. The game tracks your move count so you can try to improve.
Is there a strategy for solving Lights Out?
Yes. The chase-the-lights method works row by row from top to bottom. Decide which cells in row 1 to click based on row 2 being dark, then move down.
Can I get a new puzzle?
Yes. The New Puzzle button generates a fresh solvable configuration. A Daily Puzzle mode generates a consistent puzzle for the day that you can compare with friends.