Rangoli Symmetry: free Diwali game to learn mirror symmetry

What is Rangoli Symmetry?

Six rangoli patterns, each with a few missing cells. Use the mirror lines, and later a quarter-turn spin, to work out every missing colour: one mirror line, top to bottom, a diagonal, two lines, a turn and finally a full eight-way rangoli. A wrong check costs one of 3 lives.

Rangoli Symmetry is a free Diwali geometry game. Rangoli are colourful floor patterns made for Diwali, the festival of lights, and many other celebrations, and they are often perfectly symmetric. Each of the six patterns here has a few missing cells: pick a colour and paint each gap so the whole design mirrors perfectly.

The patterns get richer as you go: one up-down mirror line, a side-to-side line, a diagonal, two lines at once, a quarter-turn spin with no mirror at all, and finally a full rangoli with four mirror lines and four turns. A wrong check costs one of 3 lives and shows you which cell matches which, so every mistake teaches the rule.

At a glance

Category

Seasonal

Difficulty

Medium

Play time

3–5 min

Price

Free, in your browser, sign-up optional

How to play

Find the line

Dashed lines are mirror lines. A ⟳ in the middle means the pattern repeats every quarter turn.

Paint the gaps

Pick one of four colours (or press 1 to 4) and tap each ? cell. Tap it again to clear it.

Check

Every missing cell has a partner you can see. A wrong check costs a life and shows you one cell's partner.

Score

100 per pattern on the first check, 25 less per miss. +50 per life left after all six.

Scoring

Each completed pattern scores 100 on the first check, 25 less for every check with a wrong cell (never below 25).

A wrong check costs one of 3 lives. Finish all six patterns and every life left adds 50. Your best score is kept in this browser.

What it trains

Mirror symmetry

Finding where a cell lands across a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line.

Rotational symmetry

Seeing that a pattern can repeat every quarter turn with no mirror line at all.

Spatial reasoning

Rebuilding a whole design from one part by following its rule.

Strategy and tips

Count from the line

A mirror keeps the distance: a cell two steps left of the line matches the cell two steps right of it.

Diagonals swap

Across the main diagonal, row and column swap places: row 2, column 5 matches row 5, column 2.

Turns aren't mirrors

With a quarter-turn spin, a cell matches the cell a quarter turn round the centre, not its reflection.

Use any partner

In the full rangoli each cell has up to seven partners. Any visible one gives you the colour.

Trust the symbols

Each colour also has a symbol (● ◆ ▲ ✿), so you can match shapes instead of shades.

Why play Rangoli Symmetry?

Symmetry is one of the first ideas of geometry: reflections across a line and rotations round a point. Spotting it helps in maths, art, design and even reading maps. Rebuilding a pattern from one part trains you to see the rule behind a shape, not just the shape.

Frequently asked questions