Space Tiles for parents: what the puzzle game is like
Space Tiles is a calm shape puzzle in the browser for kids from about 8 to 12. The player drags coloured tiles into a frame and turns them until every square is filled, which "fixes" a planet. There is no fighting, no danger, no timer and no way to lose, and there are no ads, no chat and nothing to buy inside the game. This page lists the facts a grown-up may want before their child plays.
What does the player do?
- Picks a puzzle on a map of planets.
- Drags tiles from a tray into a grid-shaped frame, and turns them a quarter turn at a time.
- Fills every square of the frame. Every puzzle can be filled exactly with the tiles given.
- Gets 1 to 3 stars, depending on how many moves it took, and small rewards: power-ups that place a tile automatically.
There are 324 planets in 9 galaxies, a "Big Junk Ship" puzzle with a move goal at the end of each galaxy, and a new daily puzzle every day. Frames grow slowly, from 3 × 3 squares to 13 × 13. The details are on the galaxies page.
What skills does it use?
Space Tiles is about shapes and space: seeing how a shape fits, picturing it turned, and planning a few steps ahead. Counting moves to earn 3 stars adds a little planning and arithmetic. The puzzles start very small, and the game's own helpers (a free hint, Undo and power-ups) mean a child is never stuck for long.
Content notes
- No violence. There is hardly any story: the player fixes planets, and a grumpy "Big Junk Ship" blocks the way at the end of each galaxy. Nothing attacks the player.
- No pressure. There is no timer and no game over. More moves only mean fewer stars, and any star opens the next planet.
- A friendly helper. ROB the robot gives short tips on the first three planets, the first Big Junk Ship and the first daily puzzle.
- No chat or other players. The game is played alone.
- No ads or purchases inside the game. The only link out of the game is a membership card that opens the portal's Join page.
- Music and sound. Calm music made for the game (Contenta Studio), and licensed sound effects. Both can be turned down or off.
How much reading is there?
Very little. The text is ROB's short tips, button names and a result card such as "You used 9 moves. For 3 stars: 8 or fewer." A child who can't read yet can still play by dragging and tapping, with a grown-up reading the first tips aloud. The tips speak to the device in use: touch, keyboard and mouse, or controller.
How long is a session?
Each puzzle is short. The first planets take a minute or two, and the big frames of the last galaxies take longer. The result card after every puzzle is a natural stopping point. The game saves after every move, so a child can also stop in the middle of a puzzle and carry on later.
Where is progress saved?
The game saves by itself in the web browser on the device being used. There are three separate save slots, so siblings can each have their own game. Progress does not move between devices or browsers, and clearing the browser's site data removes it. If the browser blocks saving, for example in a private window, the game says so. More on saving and settings.
Devices, controls and comfort
- Plays in a web browser on computers, phones and tablets, with no download. The puzzle is drawn with light, flat graphics, so it doesn't need a powerful device.
- Touch, mouse, keyboard or game controller. On phones and tablets it is played in landscape.
- Each tile colour also has its own pattern (dots, stripes, a grid, rings or a cross; one colour is plain), so colour is never the only clue.
- Small tiles have an enlarged touch area, so they are easy to pick up with a finger.
- Moving effects set to Calm stops the gentle floating of the tiles and other animations.
- Settings also cover volume, music, sound effects, sound on or off, graphics and language.
All controls are on the controls page.
Languages
Nine languages: English, Swedish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. The language can be changed in Settings.
Data
The game keeps its saves in the browser. If something goes wrong, it may send a short error report to the Contenta Games portal so the problem can be fixed.
How to get the game
Space Tiles can be tried in the browser with the demo. The full game is part of the Contenta Games membership, which opens every game on the portal. See what a membership includes, or browse the guides to all our games.
See also
- The guide's front page: what the game is about.
- FAQ: quick answers to common questions.
- Your first ten minutes: what the start looks like.
- Play Space Tiles together.
