Regarding the swipe-to-draw mechanic, I really believe that drawing the piece cell-by-cell on the board has a few intentional advantages:
1. It gives the player a sense of absolute control over the game and their placements.
2. It provides a sequence of 'micro-pleasures' or tactile feedback with each tap. It acts as a series of tiny micro-goals you achieve as you slowly build the piece.
3. It intentionally slows down the gameplay. Since this is a strategy puzzle, slowing the pace down is ideal because thinking mid-to-long term is absolutely crucial.
As for tapping the red piece to pre-rotate it... well, that’s exactly where the added difficulty lies! It’s a specific mental challenge that few games force you into. You have to make that little extra cognitive effort to visualize the piece on the board. I like to think it definitely helps improve your spatial awareness over time! ;)