Cognilo
Mental rotation puzzles: turned or flipped?
One shape, four options. Exactly one is the same shape turned; the others are mirror images or different shapes altogether. Play below, and learn the one trick that separates a rotation from a reflection.
What is a spatial reasoning puzzle?
Spatial reasoning puzzles ask you to picture how objects look when they are moved, turned or combined. Mental rotation is the classic example: decide whether two shapes are the same object at different angles, or mirror images that can never line up by turning alone.
How to tell a rotation from a mirror image
Pick one distinctive feature, such as the short arm of an L or the lone square sticking out, and note which side it is on relative to the rest of the shape. Turning the shape moves that feature around, but it stays on the same side as you trace the outline clockwise. A mirror image puts it on the opposite side.
Turn in quarter-turns. It is easier to picture three clean 90° steps than one 270° jump; a 270° clockwise turn is the same as a quarter-turn anticlockwise.
Why every puzzle here has exactly one answer
The generator only uses shapes whose mirror image cannot be reached by turning, and it checks every option against all four rotations of the target. Exactly one option passes; the explanation tells you which rotation it is.
Spatial puzzles in the Cognilo app
Rotation Match in the app uses larger shape sets and more mirror distractors as you level up, and the result screen tells you whether a slip was a mirror or a different shape.
Frequently asked questions
Are mental rotation puzzles hard?
They get harder with bigger angles and shapes that look similar when flipped. Most people find them much easier once they track a single feature instead of the whole shape.
Can I play spatial puzzles offline?
In the Cognilo app, yes: every puzzle works offline. This web page also generates its puzzles in your browser.