Zentomino
By Jenny Bristol,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Arrange shapes to finish puzzles in challenging but fun app.
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Zentomino
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What’s It About?
Kids drag and drop the pentominoes into the puzzle shape without overlapping or leaving empty spaces. Players get a shaded puzzle shape and 12 pentominoes that somehow fit together to complete the shape, but all 12 pieces do not have to be used. Kids can rotate pieces by tapping or flip them by double tapping. They can get hints by double tapping in an empty area. Shaking the device clears the puzzle and resets all the pieces. The app includes more than 250 puzzles that can be worked in any order. Completed puzzles are saved but can be reset if kids want to solve them again.
Is It Any Good?
ZENTOMINO is a challenging puzzle-based app that is very well done and doesn't clutter up a simple concept with a lot of extras. Since the puzzles are often quite challenging and can take a while to solve, this app is a good value. The music in the background is meant to be soothing, but can be turned off if desired. Hints can also be turned off, and any pieces that are unused for a particular puzzle can be hidden.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Kids who enjoy this app might like the traditional board game Blokus, a two- to four-player game using polyominoes, or the Blokus app, which can be played against an opponent.
Help kids with strategy and hints if they get stuck. The app includes a few free hints, but some puzzles are tricky and may require more.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Math: geometry, patterns
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: logic, problem solving, solving puzzles
- Release date: July 14, 2011
- Category: Board Games
- Publisher: Little White Bear Studios
- Version: 2.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 3.0 or later
- Last updated: August 22, 2016
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