- An occasional bonus 5×5: some weeks, this week's puzzle also comes as an untimed 25-piece grid. Look for the 5×5 chip next to the difficulties. The first one arrives on 25 October.
- A star on the progress board for every 5×5 you meet, filled once you solve it.
- Optimized for iPhone Duo: fold or unfold mid-game and the puzzle resizes in place, pieces where you left them.
Tessera
Puzzles that move.
Every piece is a tiny looping animation. The goal: reassemble the moving picture before the timer runs out.
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.
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, optimized for iPhone Duo.
What's new
- A tip jar in Settings, under Support Tessera, if you would like to support the game.
- An optional Sunday badge: a small mark on the app icon when the new weekly puzzle is out. Offered after your first weekly solve, and in Settings.
Earlier updates
- This Week's puzzle: a brand-new scene every Sunday, alongside the daily one. It downloads once and plays offline all week.
- A progress board: a dot for every puzzle solved, deepening as you clear the harder grids.
- Swipe the poster on the menu to switch between today's puzzle and this week's.
First released in June 2026.
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. It is also optimized for iPhone Duo: fold or unfold mid-game and the puzzle resizes in place.
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?
No ads. Tessera is free, and everything in it is free — the only in-app purchase is an optional tip jar in Settings, if you would like to support the game.
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.
Send Feedback
Found something useful, missing, or unclear? Your feedback is welcome.