Guide
Understand the lock, then use the picker.
This app models Gothic-style lockpicking as a linked-plate puzzle. Use this page to read the plates, reason about a route, build a lock, share your moves, load sample locks, and practice with generated ones.
Puzzle model
How the puzzle works
A lock has four to seven plates. Each plate has seven positions, shown as positions 1–7. Position 4 is the center target.
The brass pin on a plate shows that plate's current position. Select a plate with the arrow keys or WASD, or by clicking or tapping it. Then move the selected plate left or right. The lock is solved when every pin reaches the center target.
A plate can be linked to other plates. Linked plates may move in the same or opposite direction. A move is blocked if any affected plate would leave the valid 1–7 range.
Solving
How to approach a lock
There is useful advice, but no universal shortcut for dense linked locks. The hard part is understanding which other plates are pulled along with the one you move.
Test one plate at a time and watch what else moves. Avoid pushing plates already at position 1 or 7 outward, because those moves are easiest to block.
Plates that only move themselves are good cleanup tools, so save them for late in the route. Treat opposite-direction links as pair adjustments: they can pull one pin toward the center while pushing another away.
Configurator
Build the lock you see
Use Plate count to choose four, five, six, or seven plates. Enter start positions as the visible positions 1–7, with 4 already solved.
The interaction matrix describes linked movement. The row is the plate you move; the column is the plate affected. Diagonal cells are locked because every plate moves itself.
Other cells cycle through no link, same direction, opposite direction, and back to no link. The legend explains each icon.
The picker checks solvability while you edit. You can save a named custom lock locally or copy a link that opens the same lock.
Sharing
Share a lock or a solution
There are two useful links: one shares the untouched lock and one shares the lock with your current moves applied.
Use the link beside Save to share this lock from the beginning. It is ideal for sending a puzzle or bookmarking a custom lock.
After making a move, use the link above Move history to share my moves. Use it to show a route, continue from the current position, or share a completed solution.
Saved locks and training stats stay in your browser. A shared link carries only the lock and, when selected, the recorded moves.
- Lock link
- Opens an already configured lock.
- Moves link
- Also applies the recorded moves to that lock.
Library
Browse documented locks
Open Library for the full catalog. Search by name, area, key, or location, then narrow the list by area, access, object, status, and plate count.
Status badges show how complete the data is. Some locks are playable, some inferred, and some contain only partial notes.
Select a playable entry to open it in the picker. On mobile, the catalog uses stacked cards instead of the wide table.
Trainer
Practice with generated locks
Choose a difficulty and select Generate training lock. The generator searches for a solvable lock in that band and may relax the constraints if an exact match takes too long.
The square button cancels active generation. Enable Auto-generate on solve to load the next practice lock after a completed puzzle.
Training stats show solved count, streak, average inputs, average optimal inputs, and recent attempts. They are stored in your browser.
Guide
Frequently asked questions
- How does Gothic lockpicking work?
- Move linked plates until every pin reaches the center position without pushing any plate outside its valid range.
- Can I share a lock or solution?
- Yes. Lock links preserve the configuration, while moves links also preserve your selected plate, current positions, and full input history.
- Does the solver always find the shortest route?
- When a solution exists, the solver returns a shortest safe route measured in user inputs.