River Crossing
Puzzles · Row foxes and chickens across the river without anyone being eaten.
Play River Crossing free online: row foxes and chickens across the river in a small boat without anyone being eaten. A calm logic puzzle with seven levels, from the farmer and the fox to six pairs, star ratings against the fewest possible crossings, a Daily river and a Teach me button that shows the next crossing. No download, made for phones.
🏆 Leaderboard
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How to play
- Everyone starts on the start bank, on the left. Tap an animal to put it in the boat, or tap it again in the boat to take it out.
- Press Cross the river. The boat sails to the other bank and the animals climb out.
- Never leave a bank with more foxes than chickens, or the chickens are eaten. Hops warns you and the crossing does not count.
- The boat only holds a few animals (it says how many), and it can't sail without someone aboard. In the first level the farmer rows, so the boat can sail empty and the fox must never be alone with the chicken, or the chicken with the corn.
- Get everyone to the safe bank on the right. Fewer crossings earn more stars: match the best possible number (par) for three. Finish a level with a star to open the next.
Tips to win
- Check both banks after every crossing, not just the boat: the danger is on the bank you just left and on the bank you just reached.
- Moving foxes first is often safe, because a bank with no chickens can hold any number of foxes.
- Bringing an animal back is not a mistake. Almost every solution rows someone back at least once to keep both banks safe.
- Stuck? Press Undo to take back a crossing, or Teach me: Hops loads the boat with the next animals of a shortest solution and says why.
- Level 4, Three and three, is the classic puzzle. The best possible is 11 crossings, and our guide shows every one of them.
Guides
Questions
How do you play River Crossing?
Tap animals to load the boat, press Cross the river and get everyone to the other bank. If a bank ever has more foxes than chickens, the chickens are eaten, so choose who sails with care.
Is River Crossing the Missionaries and Cannibals puzzle?
Yes. Level 4 is that classic puzzle, with chickens in place of the missionaries and foxes in place of the cannibals. The other levels are the fox, chicken and corn puzzle and bigger versions with bigger boats.
Is every level solvable?
Yes. Every level is checked by a solver before you play it, and par is the number of crossings in its shortest solution. Teach me always shows a crossing that still leads to a win, or tells you if the position is stuck.
How does the Daily river work?
Every day there is one new river, the same for every player, with its own leaderboard. It changes at midnight and does not repeat for weeks.
Is River Crossing free?
Yes. Play free in your browser on phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no account.