Sokoban Level 1a

Sokoban Level 1a is one of two possible maps for the first level of Sokoban in NetHack, and is among the various possible maps for that level in variants of NetHack. The level has 12 boulders and 10 pits, leaving 2 spare boulders.

-------- ------ 0 boulder
|<|>...---....| ^ pit
|^|-.00....0..| > starting position/downstairs
|^||..00|.0.0.| < upstairs
|^||....|.....| ? scroll of earth
|^|------0----|
|^|    |......|
|^------......|
|..^^^^0000...|
|??-----......|
----   --------

Strategy

The following solution solves the level without putting any boulders in an immobile position. Faster solutions which do not necessarily leave every boulder free might exist.

You can also watch an instructional TTYREC video or a YouTube video.

All boulders are replaced by letters so they can be referred to. Moving the boulders is shortened to r for right, l for left, u for up, d for down. An asterisk is used to denote the last move filled a pit (and thus removed the boulder from the game). So "N ddrr*" means move boulder N two times down and two times to the right into a pit.

This is the starting position. First, clear the way into the lower right room:

-------- ------ A d
|<|@...---....| B rrrr
|^|-.AB....C..| H dd
|^||..DE|.F.G.|
|^||....|.....|
|^|------H----|
|^|    |......|
|^------......|
|..^^^^IJKL...|
|??-----......|
----   --------

Clear the lower right room:

-------- ------ J u
|<|>...---....| I l*
|^|-......BC..| L u
|^||.ADE|.F.G.| K llll*
|^||....|.....| L dlll lll*
|^|------.----| H dlll lll*
|^|    |.@....| J dlll llll u*
|^------.H....|
|..^^^^IJKL...|
|??-----......|
----   --------

Pick up the two scrolls of earth as soon as possible to ensure that no monsters get a hold of them; remember to verify their beatitude before reading them in Sokoban, and only do so if you have misplaced or broken some other boulders.

Clean the upper right room. There are several ways to do this, with one displayed below:

-------- ------ F r
|<|>...---....| B ddld dddl llll lllu u*
|^|-......BC..| G dlll dddd llll llll uuu*
|^||.ADE|.F.G.| F lldd dddl llll lllu uuu*
|^||....|.....| C ddll dddd llll llll uuuu u*
|^|------.----|
|^|    |......|
|.------......|
|.............|
|.@-----......|
----   --------

Take one of the remaining boulders and finish the level:

-------- ------  E urrr ddld dddl llll lllu uuuu u*
|<|>...---....|
|^|-..........|
|.||.ADE|.....|
|@||....|.....|
|.|------.----|
|.|    |......|
|.------......|
|.............|
|..-----......|
----   --------

Next level

After this level, you will face either of the following levels:

Sokoban Level 2a ---- ----------- --.@-------- |.........| |..........| |.........| |.0-----0-.| |.........| |..|...|.0.| |....<....| |.0.0....0-| |.........| |.0..0..|..| |.........| |.----0.--.| |.........| |..0...0.|.-- |.........| |.---0-...0.------------+| |...|..0-.0.^^^^^^^^^^^^.| |..0......---------------- -----..|..| -------

Sokoban Level 2b ----------- ----------- |....|....--- |.........| |..00|00...@| |.........| |.....0...--- |.........| |....|....| |....<....| |-.--------- |.........| |..0.|.....| |.........| |.00.|0.0.0| |.........| |..0.....0.| |.........| |.000|0..0.----------------+| |....|..0.0.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.| -----------------------------