TERRAZZO · Daily hints · Guides
What are the best brain teaser apps?
The best brain teaser apps give you a problem worth thinking about and then leave you alone. Terrazzo is one such app for iPhone and iPad: a single mosaic puzzle each day, the same for everyone, free to play.
- A teaser should be solved by thinking. Terrazzo gives you three Laws and asks you to reason your way to the one mosaic that satisfies them.
- Less is better. One puzzle a day means a clear end, not an endless feed.
- Calm counts. No timer, no ads and no account means nothing hurries you.
What makes a good brain teaser app?
A good teaser has rules you can state in a sentence. It has an answer you can check yourself, without a tutorial telling you whether you are right.
It should also respect your time. A teaser you can finish in one sitting, then set down, is easier to enjoy than one that keeps asking for more.
What should I check before I download one?
Ask a few plain questions first.
1. Is there a clock or move limit pushing you? 2. Do ads interrupt the puzzle? 3. Does it need an account before you can play? 4. Is there a natural end to each session?
If the answers are no, no, no and yes, you are likely to enjoy it for a long time. For a wider checklist, see what makes a puzzle game app worth keeping.
How does Terrazzo work as a brain teaser?
You fit coloured stones into a frame so the day's Laws hold. When they all hold, the colours settle into a picture of something real, with a short story.
There are three Laws, and most days use one or two.
- Kinship. Touching stones of one colour form a region. The sizes of those regions must match the numbers shown on the frame's edge.
- Solitude. No two sun cells may touch, not even diagonally.
- The Vein. The vein cells must form one unbroken path between the frame's two notches, with no branches and no loops.
The full walk-through is in How to play Terrazzo.
How do I approach a brain teaser that feels too hard?
Start with the Law that leaves you the least room. A tight constraint often settles a few stones for certain, and each settled stone narrows the rest.
Then work outward from what you know. Avoid guessing a whole region at once; place one stone you can defend, and check it against every Law.
If you are still stuck, rest. The puzzle will be there tomorrow, and a fresh look often shows what a tired one missed.
Can I get a little help without spoiling it?
Yes. Each day there are three hints, released through the day. A nudge arrives at 00:00 UTC, the Laws in plain words at 08:00 UTC, and the answer at 16:00 UTC.
Choose how much you want. The leaderboard counts unaided solves only, so hints, salvages and seat marks keep your solve off it. Nothing else about the puzzle changes.
Is it free?
The daily puzzle is free to play. The archive of past mosaics, Stillwater and Solve DNA are part of TERRAZZO+, which is free for everyone for now. Past days in the archive open with keys earned by solving the daily puzzle.
Try today's mosaic
If you want a gentle start, read today's hints, or begin without any. Terrazzo is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad: download Terrazzo.