If you've found a bug, have a question, or want to share feedback about a level, I read every email. Replies usually within 48 hours; I'm a one-person studio, so please be patient on weekends.
Please include your device model (e.g., iPhone 14 Pro Max), iOS version, and a brief description of what happened. Screenshots help. If the issue is a specific level, mention the world and level number.
Tessera is free for the first 30 levels (Worlds 1-3). Tap any locked world to see the unlock screen — it's a one-time $0.99 in-app purchase that unlocks the remaining 70 hand-curated levels across seven more worlds. There are no subscriptions, no ads, and no additional purchases.
Open the app, tap the Settings gear, and choose Restore Purchase. The unlock state is tied to your Apple ID — make sure you're signed in to the same Apple ID you used at purchase (Settings → Apple Account on iPhone). The unlock should restore within a few seconds. If it doesn't, email me with your purchase receipt and I'll resolve it manually.
Every level has a move budget shown at top right. Clearing the board is necessary, but you also have to do it within that budget. The budget is generous — provably solvable in fewer moves — so most clears succeed. If you ran out of moves, tap Restart on the lost screen and try a different opening slide.
Each level offers one free hint. Tapping the hint button (lightbulb icon) runs the game's solver and highlights the tile that should move first on the optimal path. The direction is up to you — the hint just shows you which tile to focus on. After one hint, the button disables for that attempt; restart the level to get another.
Yes. The full game is downloaded on install — no streaming, no server roundtrips during play. Your progress saves locally to the device, and (when online) syncs to the cloud automatically so you can pick up on a different device. If you only ever play offline, that's fine; cloud sync is optional and never blocks play.
Sign in to the new device with the same Apple ID you used on your previous device. Install Tessera, open it, and your progress will sync from the cloud automatically within a few seconds. The first launch on a new device may take a moment longer than usual while the sync completes.
Settings → Reset progress. This clears both the local progress on the device and the cloud copy. It does not delete your purchase — Tessera Full stays unlocked.
Refunds for Tessera Full are handled by Apple, not by me. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions → Tessera (or use the App Store's "Report a Problem" page at reportaproblem.apple.com). Apple decides refunds at their discretion; I have no involvement in their decisions.
Force-quit the app (swipe up from the bottom, flick away the Tessera card) and reopen. If the issue persists, please email me with a description of what happened — your reports genuinely help me prioritize fixes for the next update.
Yes. Tessera is available on Google Play under the same name and the same one-time-unlock structure. Your purchases on iOS and Android are separate (each platform handles its own billing); there isn't currently a way to transfer an unlock across platforms.
Email me. New worlds and mechanics get prioritized based on what players actually want, and I'm happy to share what's planned. Quiet Paper aesthetic + provably-solvable + no-fishhooks are non-negotiable, but everything else is on the table.
Tessera collects very little: an anonymous Firebase user ID for cross-device sync of your level progress, and your Tessera Full purchase status. No advertising IDs, no analytics, no third-party trackers, no contact information. Full details: Privacy Policy.
Standard one-time-purchase software terms apply: Terms of Service.