Tessera

Each puzzle is a linear equation shown as weighted tiles on a balance beam. Apply balancing moves to both sides, add or subtract terms, divide by a coefficient, combine like terms, until x stands alone. Then a final round asks you to write the solved value in standard notation.

• Every move is applied to both sides to keep the beam balanced
• Legal moves isolate x; illegal ones like dividing by zero drain your legality meter
• Too many illegal moves topple the beam and reset the board
• Finish by entering the value of x to convert the tiles back to written form

• Daily: a fixed equation shared each day, with difficulty set by the seed
• Practice: fresh randomized equations

• Desktop: click the balancing-move buttons, type a custom value into the stepper, and type the final answer
• Phone & tablet: tap the move buttons and the number field (mouse or touch only)

• Gather the variable on one side and the constants on the other before dividing by the coefficient
• Avoid the tempting divide-by-zero button, illegal moves cost legality and inflate your penalty

Tessera teaches equation solving as a physical balancing act, grounding algebra in a concrete model.

• Skills: algebra, equation solving, the balance model, inverse operations
• Best for: roughly grades 8–12 (ages 13+)
• For parents & teachers: algebra as a balancing act.

The same linear equation balance, with weighted tiles and moves applied to both sides.

Working in tiles rather than symbols is the original emphasis.

Tiles make the distinction between a term and a coefficient physical. Combining like terms is literally gathering identical tiles, and dividing through is splitting every pile equally — which is where the symbolic version loses students who could do the physical one.

Tessera is an original free browser math game that teaches equation solving as a physical balancing act, making the rule of doing the same thing to both sides tangible through a tilting beam.

A free, original browser game on PlayPendium. No download, no install.