Survivor Tower of Hanoi
Move the whole tower to the right peg without putting a bigger disc on a smaller one.
- Move: tap a peg to lift a disc, tap another to drop.
- Rule: never place a bigger disc on a smaller one.
- Win: rebuild the whole tower on the right peg.
About this puzzle
The whole puzzle is one idea applied over and over: to move a tower, first move everything above its biggest disc out of the way, move that disc once, then rebuild on top of it. The useful habit is to watch the smallest disc: in a perfect solve it moves on every other turn and always circles the pegs in the same direction. An illegal drop just shakes the peg and costs nothing, and tapping the same peg again puts a lifted disc back for free.
Survivor loves a puzzle that looks trivial from the mat and then unravels under pressure, and tower puzzles are a staple of that playbook: immunity courses across many seasons have ended at a table of blocks or discs restacked in order while a rival tribe closes the gap. The Tower of Hanoi is the classic that whole family descends from: no luck, no hidden information, only a plan you either hold onto or lose, which is why a lead evaporates the moment someone starts undoing their own moves.
More island brainteasers: sort the tray in the Survivor 48 number puzzle, browse the full puzzle collection, or test yourself in the other Survivor games.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the Tower of Hanoi?
Move the whole tower of discs from the left peg to the right peg. You may move only one disc at a time, always the top disc of a stack, and you may never place a larger disc on top of a smaller one. In this version you tap a peg to lift its top disc, then tap another peg to drop it; tapping the same peg again puts the disc back for free.
What is the minimum number of moves?
A tower of n discs needs at least 2^n - 1 moves: 7 moves for 3 discs, 15 for 4, 31 for 5, 63 for 6, and 127 for 7. Each extra disc doubles the work, because you have to move the entire smaller tower off the biggest disc, move that disc once, then rebuild the smaller tower on top of it. That minimum is the par your star rating is scored against.
How does the daily tower work?
The page loads the daily tower, a fixed 6 disc stack that is the same for everyone on a given day, so times and move counts are comparable. After a win you are offered a fresh tower, and after any solve you can copy a challenge link that dares a friend to beat your result on the same setup.
Can I get stuck in an unwinnable position?
No. Every position you can reach by legal moves can still be solved, so there are no dead ends, only extra moves. If you lose the thread mid-solve, the hint button works out the optimal next move from your exact current position rather than from the start.
Has the Tower of Hanoi appeared on Survivor?
Tower and stacking puzzles are a Survivor challenge staple: castaways regularly finish an immunity course by restacking blocks or discs under pressure while another tribe closes the gap. The Tower of Hanoi is the 19th century classic that this whole family of puzzles descends from, which makes it a fitting training ground. This version is our own island take rather than a copy of a specific show prop.