Tesserae

About

Tesserae is a puzzle game by Nicholas Schlott that builds on mechanics from an earlier DOS title. You flip colored tiles over adjacent ones to remove them from the board. Jumping a tile subtracts its color while landing on a tile adds new shades. Red, blue, and yellow form the base for secondary colors like purple and green. Mix all three and you get gray, a stubborn tile that’s tough to clear. Starting with simple grids and primary colors, the game ramps up by introducing irregular boards and layered color combinations that demand careful planning. The color-mixing logic and gradual difficulty curve set this apart. Each move shifts the board’s balance between removal and buildup, making every decision feel weighty. Originally inspired by Kent Brewster’s Stained Glass, it launched in 1990 on platforms like PC, Mac, and Game Boy. Though decades old, its puzzle mechanics remain sharp for players who enjoy slow-burn strategy over frantic action.