Shadow

Shadow hides an everyday object between a lamp and a paper screen. You only see its shadow. Every wrong guess swings the lamp to a more revealing angle.

How it works

Look at the shadow and type what you think casts it, then pick from the list. A wrong guess, or a skip, swings the lamp to a new angle. The first angles are steep and the shadow is soft; each move sharpens it and turns the object toward its most telling side.

The last of the six angles is straight on. When the round ends, the house lights come up and you see the object itself.

The lamp dial

The little dial under the screen shows where the lamp is shining from. A lamp high above the screen stretches shadows downward; a lamp to one side stretches them sideways.

The objects

The objects are low-poly 3D models by Kenney, released into the public domain under CC0: food, tools, furniture, toys and a few vehicles.

Example

The first shadow is a soft, tall blob, wider at the top. A guess of lollipop is wrong, and the lamp swings round: now there's a thin stem on a flat foot under a rounded bowl. It's a wine glass.

Tips

1Think about what the object looks like from the lamp's direction, not from the front.
2Thin parts disappear in soft shadows. Look at the overall outline first.
3If you have no idea, skip: you'll get a better angle for free.