About PlayTangram.online

PlayTangram.online is a free place to explore the traditional seven-piece tangram puzzle. The idea is simple: take a small set of familiar shapes and discover how they fit inside an unfamiliar outline. You can start immediately, experiment without a countdown, and ask for a hint whenever a fresh perspective would help. Our aim is to make that experience comfortable on a computer, phone, or tablet, whether you are meeting tangram for the first time or returning to a favorite kind of puzzle.

Seven pieces, many possibilities

Every puzzle uses the same complete set: two large triangles, one medium triangle, two small triangles, a square, and a parallelogram. The pieces keep their true proportions. You can move and rotate them, and you can reflect the parallelogram to reverse its slant. To complete a target, all seven must cover the silhouette without gaps, overhang, or overlap. That small collection of rules leaves plenty of room for observation, imagination, and revision.

The two large triangles together occupy half the total area. The square, medium triangle, and parallelogram each occupy one eighth, while each small triangle occupies one sixteenth. These relationships are useful clues when a nearly completed shape leaves an awkward opening. They also explain why a convincing arrangement of small pieces can still block the remaining large triangle. Tangram encourages you to reconsider a division instead of forcing a piece into a space it cannot fill.

A collection built from real arrangements

The current collection contains 100 checked puzzles across Easy, Medium, and Hard. Most are original geometric studies, with a small selection of named figures including Sitting fox, Perched bird, Cargo boat, Sailboat, Hillside house, Ankle boot, and Walking figure. The opening square introduces the pieces in a familiar outline. Later studies explore connected boundaries, narrow projections, and broader regions whose internal divisions are harder to see.

Each target comes from an arrangement of seven actual rigid pieces. Automated validation checks the total area, intersections, coverage, and silhouette data before a production build. The game also checks the geometry of your finished arrangement. Identical triangles may exchange positions, and another valid subdivision can count as a solution. The goal is a correctly covered shape, rather than matching a particular sequence of colors to a stored picture.

Choose the amount of guidance you want

Easy puzzles show faint lines inside the target so beginners can compare each piece with a possible destination. Medium and Hard present the outside silhouette, leaving the hidden boundaries for you to discover. These are practical collection labels rather than measured ratings of intelligence or ability. Every puzzle stays available, so you can choose an interesting shape directly without completing a prescribed sequence first.

Hints reveal one legitimate placement at a time. You can study the ghost and move the piece yourself, or use Place hinted piece for direct assistance. Undo and Redo let you compare experiments, while Restart gives you a clean tray. A completion with help still counts. There is no timer, payment requirement, or competitive ranking to turn a relaxed session into a race.

Comfortable ways to play

Mouse and touch dragging let you move pieces directly. Visible rotation buttons turn the selected piece in 45-degree steps, and the Flip control mirrors the parallelogram. A piece selector helps when a small shape is difficult to touch or is hidden behind another. Keyboard controls offer another route: arrows move, R rotates, Shift+R reverses the turn, and F flips the parallelogram.

The website opens in light mode, with a manual dark-mode switch for people who prefer a darker palette. The fullscreen control expands the game area for a more focused session. On browsers without native fullscreen support, an expanded in-page view provides a similar workspace. These display choices change the presentation while preserving the same board coordinates and puzzle rules.

Learning together and playing independently

Tangram can be a shared activity for children and adults. One player might describe a move while another operates the board, or you might take turns explaining the clue behind a placement. Our guides suggest gentle starting points, accurate shape relationships, and strategies for difficult outlines. They offer practical ideas without promising a particular educational, clinical, or medical result.

Progress is stored in the current browser when storage is available. Completed badges and unfinished boards can survive a refresh, but they do not automatically move to another device. There is no account or database behind that history. Read the privacy policy for details, explore the learning guides, or head back to the game. Questions and feedback are welcome through the contact page.