Calculate minimum moves to solve a puzzle
- by Luke
I'm in the process of creating a game where the user will be presented with 2 sets of colored tiles. In order to ensure that the puzzle is solvable, I start with one set, copy it to a second set, then swap tiles from one set to another. Currently, (and this is where my issue lies) the number of swaps is determined by the level the user is playing - 1 swap for level 1, 2 swaps for level 2, etc. This same number of swaps is used as a goal in the game. The user must complete the puzzle by swapping a tile from one set to the other to make the 2 sets match (by color). The order of the tiles in the (user) solved puzzle doesn't matter as long as the 2 sets match.
The problem I have is that as the number of swaps I used to generate the puzzle approaches the number of tiles in each set, the puzzle becomes easier to solve. Basically, you can just drag from one set in whatever order you need for the second set and solve the puzzle with plenty of moves left. What I am looking to do is after I finish building the puzzle, calculate the minimum number of moves required to solve the puzzle. Again, this is almost always less than the number of swaps used to create the puzzle, especially as the number of swaps approaches the number of tiles in each set.
My goal is to calculate the best case scenario and then give the user a "fudge factor" (i.e. 1.2 times the minimum number of moves). Solving the puzzle in under this number of moves will result in passing the level.
A little background as to how I currently have the game configured:
Levels 1 to 10: 9 tiles in each set. 5 different color tiles.
Levels 11 to 20: 12 tiles in each set. 7 different color tiles.
Levels 21 to 25: 15 tiles in each set. 10 different color tiles.
Swapping within a set is not allowed.
For each level, there will be at least 2 tiles of a given color (one for each set in the solved puzzle).
Is there any type of algorithm anyone could recommend to calculate the minimum number of moves to solve a given puzzle?
