How do you play Next Shape?
Look at the three or four shapes in a row, work out the rule that changes them, and pick the shape that belongs in the ? slot from the options below. It is the same kind of figure sequence puzzle you meet in IQ tests and aptitude exams.
Tap an option card or press 1 to 6 to answer. When you are right the card flies into the ? slot and snaps into place; when you are wrong the card shakes and the correct answer appears together with a one line explanation of the rule. Puzzles are not taken from a fixed list. They are built on the spot from rules, shapes, colours and sizes, so you almost never see the same one twice.
What rules can appear?
Shapes change by rotation, number of sides, colour, size, fill, count or position, and harder puzzles apply two rules at once or lay the figures out as a 3×3 matrix.
| Rule | What changes |
|---|---|
| Rotation | Turns 45° or 90° clockwise or counterclockwise each step. Appears on triangles, pentagons, stars and arrows |
| Sides | Triangle → square → pentagon → hexagon, one side more or fewer each step |
| Colour | Cycles red → orange → yellow → green → blue → purple, sometimes backwards |
| Size | Grows or shrinks through five sizes |
| Fill | Filled shapes and hollow outline shapes alternate |
| Count | The same shape appears 1 to 5 times, one more or one fewer each step |
| Position | Moves one step clockwise or counterclockwise around the edge of the card |
| Two rules | For example it rotates while changing colour, or gains a side while growing |
| 3×3 matrix | Rows follow one rule and columns another; fill the bottom right cell |
How are the difficulty levels different?
Easy has one rule and 4 options, Normal has one or two rules and 5 options, and Hard has two rules or a 3×3 matrix with 6 options. The harder the level, the closer the wrong options are to the right one, differing in a single attribute.
Easy wrong answers often differ in something unrelated to the rule, such as colour or shape, so they are quick to rule out. From Normal up you meet tempting decoys: the last shape repeated, the rule applied twice, or only one of two rules applied. On Hard, all six options differ from the answer by exactly one thing.
What do the modes do?
| Mode | Details |
|---|---|
| Practice | No limit. Every answer shows the rule. Three correct in a row raises the difficulty, two wrong in a row lowers it |
| 20 question test | 6 Easy, 7 Normal and 7 Hard puzzles. You get a score and a reasoning grade, and your best score is saved |
| 2 minute rush | Solve as many as you can in two minutes. The difficulty rises every five correct answers and each mistake costs 3 seconds |
| Daily 10 | The same ten puzzles for everyone each day. Share your result as a picture card when you finish |
How are the score and reasoning grade worked out?
A correct answer is worth 100 points on Easy, 200 on Normal and 300 on Hard, plus a speed bonus of up to 50. Answering within 2 seconds earns the full bonus and after 10 seconds there is none.
- S Genius-level reasoning: 90% of the maximum or more
- A Sharp reasoning: 75% or more
- B Clear reasoning: 58% or more
- C Average reasoning: 40% or more
- D Needs more practice: below that
In the 2 minute rush the grade comes from the number solved: 25 or more is S, 18 is A, 12 is B and 7 is C. The result screen also shows how many you got right and your average time per answer.
Tips for solving fast and accurately
- Compare only the first and second cards first. Find the one thing that changed and you have half the rule; use the third card to confirm it.
- Attributes that never change must stay the same in the answer. If colour is constant, drop every option in a different colour.
- Track one sharp point when shapes rotate. Note which o'clock the tip of a star or arrow points to and 45° and 90° stop getting mixed up.
- Read a matrix one row and one column at a time. Get the across rule from the top row, the down rule from the left column, then apply the down rule to the cell above the blank.
- An option identical to the last card is usually a trap. No rule simply stops.
Controls
- Touch or mouse: tap an option card at the bottom to answer. After the explanation appears, tap anywhere to move on.
- Keyboard: the number keys 1 to 6 match the option numbers, and Enter or Space moves to the next puzzle. On the result screen Enter restarts the same mode.
Scores and best records stay in this browser only and are never sent to a server. The grade is for fun and is not an official intelligence test result.