Tessera

Isolate x by doing the same move to both sides of a balance beam — make an illegal step and the beam tips against you.

How to play

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

Game modes

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

Controls

• 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)

Tips & strategy

• 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

What you'll learn

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.

About Tessera

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. Browse all games →