Symmetry Fix

How to play

A dashed gold line is the mirror. Every tile should match its reflection on the other side of the line: filled opposite filled, empty opposite empty. Some tiles break that. Tap a tile to flip it between filled and empty, and make the whole pattern symmetric using as few taps as you can.

The game never tells you how many tiles are still wrong; it says so when the pattern is symmetric. Tiles on the line (marked ◇) match themselves and are locked. You get 3 hints: each outlines one pair that does not match and rules out gold and silver. Give up shows one solution and completes the day with no medal.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Symmetry Fix?

You see a square grid of filled and empty tiles with a dashed mirror line (vertical or horizontal; Sundays use a diagonal). Every tile should match its reflection on the other side of the line. Tap a tile to flip it between filled and empty until the whole pattern is perfectly symmetric. The game announces success when it is.

How do I know how many tiles are wrong?

You do not: the counter shows only the taps you have used, never how many mismatches remain. Par tells you the fewest taps that are possible, and a hint outlines one pair that does not match and names both tiles by row and column.

What are the tiles marked with a diamond?

Tiles that sit exactly on the mirror line (the middle column of an odd grid, or the diagonal) are their own reflection, so they always match themselves. Flipping one can never help, so the game locks them and tells you why if you tap one.

What is par and how are medals decided?

Par is the number of mismatched pairs at the start, which is the fewest possible taps: one tap changes one tile, so it can repair at most one pair. Gold: no hint and at most one tap over par. Silver: no hint. Bronze: any solve. Every tap counts, including one that flips a tile back.

Can I get hints, and is today's puzzle the same for everyone?

You get three hints; using one rules out gold and silver. Give up shows one valid solution and completes the day with no medal — it still counts for your streak, but not as a puzzle solved. Today's puzzle is generated from the calendar date (US Eastern), so everyone gets the same one; open a past day with ?d=YYYY-MM-DD.