Tessera

Puzzles that move.

Every piece is a tiny looping animation. The goal: reassemble the moving picture before the timer runs out.

Download on the App Store

Alive under your fingers

Pieces aren't still images. Each one is a small window onto a looping animation, perfectly in sync with every other piece.

One a day, one a week

A new puzzle every calendar day, drawn from seven hand-crafted scenes. And every Sunday a brand-new scene arrives, so there are always two waiting: today's and this week's.

Take your time

Switch on No-stress mode and the timer disappears. Peek at the solved puzzle whenever you want, as often as you'd like. Same pieces, same scenes, just none of the rush.

How it works

Open the app, pick a difficulty — easy 2×2, medium 3×3, or hard 4×4 — and turn on any assists you'd like. Tap Play, and the assembled scene plays for a moment before scattering across the screen. Drag pieces back into their right relative positions — there's no fixed board, so you can build wherever you like. Pieces snap when they're close enough, and pieces you've already connected move together as a group. Beat the clock, or switch on No-stress mode and take your time.

Main menu showing today's puzzle thumbnail, difficulty selector, and a Play button

Also nice

Optional grid and outline assists for when you'd like a little help. A peek button to glance at the solved puzzle, three times per round. No-stress mode that hides the timer entirely. A progress board that tracks every puzzle you've solved. Pause and change difficulty between rounds. Best-time tracking per scene and difficulty. Sound effects and haptics you can mute. The daily puzzle plays fully offline. Universal iPhone and iPad.

Frequently asked

What makes the pieces "animated"?
Each scene is one looping video, and every puzzle piece samples a different rectangle of it, so the pieces are alive in your hand, all in sync. When they snap into the right relative positions, the moving picture comes back together.
How often are there new puzzles?
A new daily puzzle every calendar day, rotating through seven hand-crafted scenes. And every Sunday a brand-new scene arrives as that week's puzzle, so you always have two waiting: today's and this week's.
Does it work on iPad?
Yes. Tessera is universal — same game on iPhone and iPad, in portrait or landscape.
Can I track my progress?
Yes. A progress board shows a dot for every puzzle, filling in as you solve them — your seven daily scenes plus each week's drop — and deepening as you clear the harder grids.
Does it need an internet connection?
The daily puzzle is always fully offline. The weekly puzzle downloads once when it's published, then plays offline all week. If you're ever offline when a new one drops, today's puzzle is still there to play.
Are there ads or in-app purchases?
None. Tessera is currently free, with no ads and no in-app purchases.
What data leaves my device?
Nothing personal. Your progress and best times stay on your device. No account, no sign-up. The app sends anonymous, aggregated product-interaction events via TelemetryDeck — no identifiers, no tracking — to help improve the game. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Why "Tessera"?
A tessera is a single small tile in a mosaic, many of them coming together to form one picture. That's the game: scattered pieces, each alive, reassembling into a moving whole.

Privacy

Your progress and best times live on your device — no account, no sign-up, no personal information collected, stored, or shared. The app uses TelemetryDeck for anonymous, aggregated product-interaction events. Full details in the Privacy Policy.

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