Draw a Perfect Star

A star punishes a different weakness than a circle does. Nothing here is curved: a five-point star is ten straight edges and ten corners, and the whole shape only reads as a star if all five arms come out the same length, the five tips land the same distance from the centre, and each arm sits 72 degrees around from the last.

The star target, with the two rings and the mirror line every point has to respect: tips on the outer ring, inner corners on the smaller one, 72 degrees between arms.

Draw yours here and the score tells you where the symmetry broke. Your stroke is measured on shape match (are the arms actually where a star's arms belong?), coverage (all five points closed, not four and a gap), smoothness (straight edges rather than bowed ones) and scale, then laid over the target so a short arm or a drifting tip is impossible to miss.

Freehand stars fail in predictable ways: the first arms come out well and the last one has to stretch or shrink to close the loop, the bottom two legs droop inwards, and the inner corners creep outwards until the star starts to look like a flower. Aiming at the tips before you start - and keeping the inner corners on their own smaller circle - is what turns a five-point scribble into a symmetrical star.

Questions people ask

What happens after the shape disappears?: You draw on a blank canvas with no guide underneath, in one attempt. The outline comes back afterwards, laid over your drawing so you can see the difference.
How is my score worked out?: Shape match, coverage, smoothness and scale, combined into one score shown with a star rating and a tip. Shape match counts for the most, at 70%.
Can I play with other people?: Two ways. 2 Players passes one device back and forth, alternating who draws first each round. Multiplayer opens a live room for 2–8 players over 5, 10 or 15 rounds, joined with a six-character code.
How many shapes are there?: 276 shapes across 12 categories, from geometry and letters to animals, food and fantasy.

Browse Every Shape Challenge →

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