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River Crossing is a free online logic puzzle built on the oldest brain teaser there is. A farmer must row a wolf, a goat and a cabbage over a river in a boat that holds only one passenger, and nobody may be left with something they will eat. Twelve levels follow, each with its own rules: hens that foxes must never outnumber, knights whose dragons only they can calm, a raft that carries 100 kg, captains who are the only ones able to row, and a family of six travelling with a police officer and a thief. Tap who gets in, row across, and the game says exactly which rule broke if you get it wrong; undo and try again. Every level is checked by a solver, so par is the true fewest crossings. No download, no sign-up, works on phones.
How to play River Crossing
- Read the rules beside the river. Every level lists how many the boat holds (and, on raft levels, how much weight it carries), who can row, and who must never be left together.
- Tap a character on the bank where the boat is to put them in the boat. Tap them again to let them out.
- Press Row Across (or tap the boat) to send it to the other bank. Somebody who can row must be aboard; on levels where not everyone rows, the rowers wear a small oar badge.
- Rules are checked the moment the boat lands: on the bank it left, in the boat, and on the bank it reached, counting the passengers as already there.
- If a rule breaks, the game names it and marks who broke it. Press Undo Crossing and try another way; Undo also steps back any crossing you regret.
- Get everyone onto the far bank to finish. Doing it in par — the fewest crossings possible — earns three stars; a few more earns two.
- Stuck? Hint names the next boatload on a shortest route from wherever you are.
- On a keyboard, number keys 1–9 put characters in or out of the boat, G rows across, U undoes and H gives a hint.
Tips
- Bringing someone back is allowed, and it is usually the trick. In the wolf, goat and cabbage puzzle the goat crosses three times.
- Look for the one character who clashes with everybody — the goat, the mouse, the thief. They are the ones who need a babysitter or a ride back.
- With hens and foxes, never let a bank tip towards the foxes, counting whoever is about to land. Sending two foxes over and one fox back is a safe way to start.
- On the raft levels, the light ones are the ferry crew: two children can cross together, and one rows back for the next adult.
- If the boat keeps arriving with no safe way to go on, undo two or three crossings rather than one — the mistake is usually further back.
FAQ
Is River Crossing free to play?
Yes. It runs in the browser with no download, no sign-up and nothing to buy. All twelve levels are included and unlock one after another as you finish them.
How do you solve the wolf, goat and cabbage puzzle?
Take the goat over first, since the wolf ignores the cabbage. Come back, take the wolf over, and bring the goat back with you. Leave the goat, take the cabbage over to the wolf, come back alone and fetch the goat. That is seven crossings, the fewest possible.
What happens if I break a rule?
The boat lands, the game names the rule that broke and where — on the bank it left, in the boat or on the bank it reached — and marks the characters involved. Press Undo Crossing to put the boat back and try something else. Nothing is lost; only your crossing count matters for stars.
How are par and the stars worked out?
Par is the fewest crossings that solve the level, found by a computer search of every safe position, so three stars are always possible. The two-star line comes from a test player that never breaks a rule and avoids going in circles but does not plan ahead: two stars mean you did at least as well as half of its runs.
Who can row the boat?
It depends on the level, and the rules beside the river say. The farmer is the only rower in the farm levels; in hens and foxes and knights and dragons anyone can row, except on the later levels where only the captains or only the Red Dragon will. A character with an oar badge can row.
How old are river crossing puzzles?
Very old. The wolf, goat and cabbage puzzle, a puzzle about pairs who must not be split up, and one about a heavy family whose boat carries a single adult all appear in Propositiones ad acuendos juvenes, a Latin collection of puzzles attributed to Alcuin of York from around the year 800.
What is the hardest level?
The Family Outing, level 12: Dad, Mum, two boys, two girls, a police officer and a thief, with a raft for two that only Dad, Mum and the officer can row. It takes at least 17 crossings. Only the Captains Row and The Lazy Dragons, at 13 crossings each, are the next hardest.
Does River Crossing work on a phone?
Yes. Tap characters and the buttons with a finger. On a phone held upright the river runs across the screen with one bank above it and one below; on a wider screen the banks sit either side.