Shapes & Puzzles by Pirate Trio Review

Shapes & Puzzles by Pirate Trio is a very nice universal tangram app which allows children to create pictures of objects or animals by dragging and dropping classic geometric shapes that together make up these images.

With 180 puzzles for iPhone and more than 200 for the iPad, this app is very content-rich, and it is nice that subjects are included which may be of interest to boys who may need extra help with mini-motor skills or cognitive learning, such as big construction machines like a crane or cement mixer or fork lift, as well as helicopter, robot or dinosaur, among others.

A nice selection of animals is also available, such as turtle, peacock or penguin.

Children will enjoy having the name of the puzzles they have created narrated as well - important as some of these images are abstract and although fun, it can be hard to tell what is being created.

Typical of tangram apps such as this, the puzzle to complete is offered center screen, showing the empty spaces that need to be filled by the colorful corresponding shapes found right of the screen in a column one can scroll through. Drag and drop these colorful shapes with basic wood grain details in their correct holes, slowly filling in this image.

The number of shapes needed to complete some of the more complex puzzles is impressive, and I enjoy how one of the four main sections to choose from is dedicated to puzzles that have extra details included, such as scales on a fish or feather details that are found within the bird choices. These added elements really bring to life the objects or animals created within and are unique to this specific app - a very nice touches indeed, as is the toddler section dedicated to the teaching of these shapes, asking players to choose the correct color and shape one is being asked about.

I do not understand the organization of the other two puzzle sections available, however, as the differences between the puzzles included within each are unclear.

Personally, I would have liked to see these puzzles arranged by the number of pieces, as these puzzles can be at times impressively involved. Players or adults may want to search for simpler puzzles as well, and arranging by the number of pieces would simplify this search.

Another nice area of this app is a list of puzzles that gets checked off when completed. I enjoy perusing this list, but it would be nice if a "tap" on a favorite word would bring players straight to their choice.

This is a good application for those looking for a tangram puzzle, especially with the addition of the creative details that bring some of these puzzles to life. With 180 to 200+ puzzles depending on the device being used, this app will keep kids entertained for a long time.