How to solve Sokoban: Alternate Methods

[Note: This spoiler is valid for 3.3.1, 3.4.0, and 3.4.1.]

by Jukka Lahtinen, jukkal@despammed.com
HTML Conversion by Kate Nepveu (knepveu@steelypips.org).
Updated September 5, 2002; typo corrected May 19, 2018.

If you want to be able to solve Sokoban without immobilizing any boulders, here are two alternate methods. Boulder symbols are replaced by uppercase letters; all other possible items and monsters removed for clarity.

Level 2, Version B

 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
 ----          -----------
--.@--------   |.........|12
|..........|   |.........|11
|.A-----B-.|   |.........|10
|..|...|.C.|   |....<....|9
|.D.E....F-|   |.........|8
|.G..H..|..|   |.........|7
|.----I.--.|   |.........|6
|..J...K.|.--  |.........|5
|.---L-...M.------------+|4
|...|..N-.O.^^^^^^^^^^^^.|3
|..P......----------------2
-----..|..|               1
    -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
  1. Push P to F3, and finish O. Push N to B2.
  2. Push B down 2, to H8. C left one to H9.
  3. Push M left one, to I4. F up one, to I9. B left two, from H8 to F8.
 
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
 ----          -----------
--.>--------   |.........|12
|..........|   |.........|11
|.A-----.-.|   |.........|10
|..|...|CF.|   |....<....|9
|.D.E.B...-|   |.........|8
|.G..H.@|..|   |.........|7
|.----I.--.|   |.........|6
|..J...K.|.--  |.........|5
|.---L-..M..------------+|4
|...|.P.-....^^^^^^^^^^^.|3
|.N.......----------------2
-----..|..|               1
    -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
  1. K down one, to G4. Finish M.
  2. K up one, back to G5.
  3. P right one, down one, right two, up two to where M was.
  4. Move K down one again, to G4, and finish P like M.
 
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
 ----          -----------
--.>--------   |.........|12
|..........|   |.........|11
|.A-----.-.|   |.........|10
|..|...|CF.|   |....<....|9
|.D.E.B...-|   |.........|8
|.G..H..|..|   |.........|7
|.----I.--.|   |.........|6
|..J.....|.--  |.........|5
|.---L-K....------------+|4
|...|...-....@.^^^^^^^^^.|3
|.N.......----------------2
-----..|..|               1
    -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
  1. Finish K, the moves for that should be trivial by now.
  2. Move N to the right, finishing it like P and M.
  3. Push L to where N is in the picture, finish it the same way as N.
  4. Push J to G5 and finish it. Now the screen looks like this:
 
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
 ----          -----------
--.>--------   |.........|12
|..........|   |.........|11
|.A-----.-.|   |.........|10
|..|...|CF.|   |....<....|9
|.D.E.B...-|   |.........|8
|.G..H..|..|   |.........|7
|.----I.--.|   |.........|6
|........|.--  |.........|5
|.---.-.....------------+|4
|...|...-........@.^^^^^.|3
|.........----------------2
-----..|..|               1
    -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
  1. Now finish I.
  2. Push C one down and one left (to G8) to clear the way between the passage
  3. there and the stairs.
  4. Push G one right, A one up and D one up.
  5. Now push E one right, and move B to I4.
  6. Move C one left, to F4. Finish B.
  7. Finish C like B.
 
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
 ----          -----------
--.>--------   |.........|12
|.A........|   |.........|11
|..-----.-.|   |.........|10
|.D|...|.F.|   |....<....|9
|....E....-|   |.........|8
|..G.H..|..|   |.........|7
|.----..--.|   |.........|6
|........|.--  |.........|5
|.---.-.....------------+|4
|...|...-...........@.^^.|3
|.........----------------2
-----..|..|               1
    -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
  1. Now you can finish E and H, and there you are.
  2. All remaining boulders movable.

Level 4, Version A

 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
--------------------------
|@......^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.|16
|.......----------------.|15
-------.------         |.|14
 |...........|         |.|13
 |.A.B.C.D.E.|         |.|12
--------.----|         |.|11
|...F.G..H.I.|         |.|10
|...J........|         |.| 9
-----.--------   ------|.| 8
 |..K.L.M...|  --|.....|.| 7
 |.....N....|  |.+.....|.| 6
 |.O.P...Q.--  |-|.....|.| 5
-------.----   |.+.....+.| 4
|..R.....|     |-|.....|-- 3
|........|     |.+.....|   2
|...------     --|.....|   1
-----            -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
  1. First, go to the room with boulders K to Q.
  2. Push boulder N three squares right (to J6).
  3. Move P two squares right, three down and five left (to B2).
  4. Move F two left.
  5. Move J one right, 4 down, 2 right, 3 down and 2 left (to E2).
Now the level looks like this: 
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
--------------------------
|>......^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.|16
|.......----------------.|15
-------.------         |.|14
 |...........|         |.|13
 |.A.B.C.D.E.|         |.|12
--------.----|         |.|11
|.F...G..H.I.|         |.|10
|............|         |.| 9
-----.--------   ------|.| 8
 |..K.L.M...|  --|.....|.| 7
 |........N.|  |.+.....|.| 6
 |.O.....Q.--  |-|.....|.| 5
-------.----   |.+.....+.| 4
|..R.....|     |-|.....|-- 3
|.P..J@..|     |.+.....|   2
|...------     --|.....|   1
-----            -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
  1. Now move G two left (to D10) and H two left (to G10).
  2. Move D one left, three down, three left, four down, one right (to F5).
  3. Push K one left, to C7.
  4. Move C one right, three down, three left, three down (to E6).
Now the screen looks like this: 
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
--------------------------
|>......^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.|16
|.......----------------.|15
-------.------         |.|14
 |...........|         |.|13
 |.A.B.....E.|         |.|12
--------.----|         |.|11
|.F.G..H...I.|         |.|10
|............|         |.| 9
-----.--------   ------|.| 8 
 |.K.@L.M...|  --|.....|.| 7
 |...C....N.|  |.+.....|.| 6 
 |.O..D..Q.--  |-|.....|.| 5
-------.----   |.+.....+.| 4
|..R.....|     |-|.....|-- 3
|.P..J...|     |.+.....|   2
|...------     --|.....|   1
-----            -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX

Now the preparations are ready and you're ready to begin actually filling the holes! The route for each boulder at this stage should be clear, so I mostly just list the order:

  1. First, push boulders I, H, G and F to the holes.
  2. Then boulders C, K, L and M.
  3. Push N three left, one up, and the rest of the way to the next hole.
The map should now look like this: 
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
--------------------------
|>.............@.^^^^^^^.|16
|.......----------------.|15
-------.------         |.|14
 |...........|         |.|13
 |.A.B.....E.|         |.|12
--------.----|         |.|11
|............|         |.|10
|............|         |.| 9
-----.--------   ------|.| 8
 |..........|  --|.....|.| 7
 |..........|  |.+.....|.| 6
 |.O..D..Q.--  |-|.....|.| 5
-------.----   |.+.....+.| 4
|..R.....|     |-|.....|-- 3
|.P..J...|     |.+.....|   2
|...------     --|.....|   1
-----            -------
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
  1. Next, use boulders R and P.
  2. Move J two left, one up, and to the next hole. Now the bottom
  3. room is empty.
  4. Next, move Q left 2, down 3, left 4, up 1, and to the hole.
  5. Take D and O the same way.
  6. Move B right 3, down 3, left 3, down 3, up 4.. and to the last hole.

All holes filled, and you haven't yet touched boulders A and E!

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