Stenciletto 4+

This 1920s IQ test was invented by pioneering American psychologist, Dr. Grace Arthur. Stenciletto recreates her work as a fun game to challenge your thinking skills.

Stenciletto is a shapes game based on an IQ test for children created a century ago - reimagined as a fun game.

The Stencil Design (IQ) Test was developed by Grace Arthur in the 1920s. She was an innovative psychologist who developed a range of non-verbal reasoning tests, and demonstrated the many of the verbal IQ tests in use were discriminatory.

This cognitive game is suitable for all ages and abilities. There are a range of levels, from very easy to very challenging, with a free training level. And, just like Grace Arthur’s IQ test, it's designed to make you think.

Many of the stencils in the game are from her original test, with a few new ones added by us. To date, we’ve only been able to see some of her designs, but we know more exist. If we ever find them, we’ll add them into the game.

What we don't know is how Grace Arthur timed or scored her IQ test, so in reimagining it, we’ve made these decisions…

- The activity is timed
- Unlimited attempts allowed
- You can get help

As the timer doesn't start until you tap a shape, you can take as long as you need to study the the shapes, think, and plan your answer.

You can ask for help. At the bottom of the puzzle screen is a Helping Hand and a View Solution button. Alternatively, you can reset the puzzle and start again.

Accessibility

Stenciletto has been developed over 10 years. At the heart of it is our son who has learning disabilities, a visual impairment and cerebral palsy. The game was designed to help him improve his visual perception skills and problem solving abilities, whilst reducing his urge to tap randomly.

The game is navigable using colours and symbols, so is usable by people with limited reading ability. It has been tested with our son’s friends at Mencap, a UK charity for people with a learning disability. Most of them got it and enjoyed it.

Can you solve it?

The game works like this: solid and cut-out shapes (stencils) are placed one on top of another to make a pattern. You must match this pattern precisely, starting with the solid shape at the back and finishing with the top shape.

There are 3 simple stages… LOOK, THINK, TAP!

LOOK! What can you see? Good visual perception is key to solving the puzzles. You need to really study the shapes, rather than just quickly glancing: most mistakes are due to poor visual perception rather than incorrect logical reasoning.

THINK! Accurate logical reasoning is absolutely vital! Because you can only see a little bit of each stencil in the pattern, you must work out which stencils are in use. The only shape that's fully visible is the top one, so that's the easy part. The shape at the back is always solid - so that’s easy too. But what shapes are in the middle? That’s the tricky bit for you to solve.

TAP! Finally, restraining your impulsivity is essential. The urge to tap a shape can be overpowering, but trial-and-error behavior rarely solves a problem correctly. Taking your time and using your intelligence is a far more effective way to solve a problem. Once you work out a solution, simply tap the shapes to see if you’re correct.

However, some words of warning!

- Once you tap a shape, the timer starts.
- Tap before you think and you’ll fail.
- Think first - and you’ll succeed!

Most puzzles are solvable in less than a minute, and there are 15 puzzles in each game. And, as a reward for completing 15 puzzles, you’ll win a fun animated Smiley character!

Leaderboards are available for those of you who like the challenge of becoming a world champion. Plus you can send challenges to your friends and family.

Just remember - LOOK, THINK, TAP!

In summary:-

- 150 free puzzles
- Free training level
- Really makes you think
- Restrains your impulsivity
- For all ages and abilities
- Motivating Smiley rewards
- Controllable music & sounds
- Accessible interface
- Hints & tips
- Leaderboards
- Achievements
- Additional puzzles can be purchased