Moving the whole tower across
Three pegs stand in a row, and one of them holds a stack of discs, largest at the bottom and smallest on top. The task is to rebuild that whole stack on another peg, and just three rules govern it: move one disc at a time, take only the disc on top of a peg, and never set a larger disc onto a smaller one. Tap a peg to lift its top disc, tap another to set it down, and try to finish in as few moves as the puzzle allows.
The rhythm that solves it
Begin with three discs to feel the pattern before you scale up. There is a hidden rhythm to it: the smallest disc moves on every other turn, and it always travels the same direction around the pegs, so once you catch that beat half your moves choose themselves. For the rest, think backward from where the biggest disc has to finish and clear its path. Solve three, then reach for four, then five.
Big goal, small steps
Tower of Hanoi is famous because it teaches a way of thinking, not just a solution: to move a tall stack, you first move the stack above the bottom disc, shift that bottom disc, then move the stack back on top. Splitting one large, daunting goal into a sequence of small, obvious moves is a habit that pays off in long division, in following a recipe, and in any task with too many steps to hold at once. The number of moves needed even doubles with each disc you add, a quietly startling lesson in how fast things can grow.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Tower of Hanoi?
Move the whole stack of discs from the first peg to the last peg. You can only move one disc at a time, you can only take the top disc of a peg, and you can never put a bigger disc on top of a smaller one. Tap a peg to pick up its top disc, then tap another peg to drop it.
What is the fewest moves?
The smallest number of moves is two to the power of the number of discs, minus one. So 3 discs need 7 moves, 4 discs need 15, and 5 discs need 31. The game shows you the target.
Why can you never put a bigger disc on a smaller one?
That single rule is the whole puzzle. Because a larger disc can never rest on a smaller one, you are forced to shuffle discs between all three pegs in a careful order instead of just piling them up. It is what makes Tower of Hanoi a classic lesson in planning a sequence of moves, and why finishing it feels so satisfying.