How to Play Tangram
Tangram (called Qiqiaoban in China, meaning "seven boards of skill") is one of the world's most enduring and mathematically celebrated dissection puzzles. Originating centuries ago, the puzzle consists of a square sliced into seven specific polygonal pieces known as tans:
- Two Large Right Triangles: Each occupying one quarter of the master square's area.
- One Medium Right Triangle: Equivalent in area to two small triangles.
- Two Small Right Triangles: The fundamental modular building blocks.
- One Square: Positioned at a 45-degree orientation relative to the small triangles.
- One Parallelogram: The only chiral piece that lacks reflective bilateral symmetry.
- Forming the Silhouette: Your objective is to arrange all seven tans so they completely fill the dark target silhouette without leaving gaps.
- No Overlapping: Tans must touch edge-to-edge or vertex-to-vertex, but they must never overlap or extend beyond the silhouette boundaries.
- Exhaustive Use: Every single silhouette requires all seven pieces. No tan can be discarded or omitted.
- Rotation and Reflection: Tans can be rotated freely in 45-degree increments. The parallelogram can also be flipped horizontally to achieve mirror orientation.
Proven Strategies for Solving Tangram Silhouettes
While simple silhouettes seem straightforward, complex animal and architectural forms frequently contain deceptive optical illusions. Employ these geometric strategies to crack any configuration:
1. Identify Salient Corners and Acute Protrusions
Examine the target outline for sharp 45-degree points, such as ears, beaks, or masts. Only the small, medium, and large right triangles possess 45-degree acute corners. If an isolated protrusion matches the geometry of a small triangle, you have definitively isolated the position of that specific tan.
2. Anchor the Two Large Triangles Early
Together, the two large right triangles account for exactly 50% of the entire puzzle's total surface area. Scan the silhouette for broad, continuous spans capable of containing their hypotenuses or combined squares. Placing the large triangles immediately halves the remaining problem space.
3. Track the Parallelogram's Chirality
Because the parallelogram is non-centrosymmetric, it cannot be transformed into its mirror image solely through rotation. If you suspect an angled section of the silhouette requires the parallelogram, test both its standard and flipped orientations before abandoning that line of reasoning.
4. Exploit Modular Equivalencies
Tangram geometry is inherently modular: two small triangles can be combined to form a square, a parallelogram, or a medium triangle. If you are struggling to position the square or medium triangle, consider whether two small triangles could fit into that exact footprint instead, freeing up the larger polygon for another sector.
Game Features
🧲 Magnetic Snap Technology
Tans snap cleanly into aligned silhouette slots when dropped close to their mathematical targets.
💡 Smart Hint Assist
Toggle internal seam guides at any time to reveal how the pieces interconnect within the silhouette.
🔄 Multi-Angle Rotation & Flip
Full 45-degree incremental rotation controls and reflective horizontal flipping for the chiral parallelogram.
📱 Fluid Multi-Touch Dragging
Optimized for both desktop mouse precision and buttery smooth mobile touch screen drag interactions.