Block Puzzle: how to play, and how to score high

The basics

The board is 8 by 8 squares. Below it are three pieces. Drag a piece onto the board and let go where it fits: it cannot overlap blocks already there or hang over the edge. Pieces are placed as they are shown; they cannot be turned.

When a row or a column is completely full, it is cleared and its squares are free again. A piece that fills a row and a column at the same time clears both. Once all three pieces are placed, three new ones are dealt.

There is no timer and no hurry: think as long as you like before each piece. The game ends only when none of the pieces you still hold fits anywhere on the board.

The pieces

There are 37 pieces. A shape turned another way round counts as a piece of its own, so an L can come in all four directions. Small pieces come more often than big ones.

Each new set of three is fair: at least one of its pieces fits on the board when it is dealt (unless the board is so full that no set could fit).

Scoring

• 1 point for every block you place. A five-block piece is worth 5.
• Lines: clearing one line scores 10, two at once 30, three at once 60, four at once 100, and so on: each extra line adds more than the one before. Rows and columns count the same.
• Streak: the points for lines are multiplied by your streak (see below). The second clear in a row scores double, the third triple.
• Board clear: 300 points extra when a clear leaves the whole board empty.

Combos and streaks

Each clear adds one to your streak, shown as "Combo ×2", "Combo ×3" and so on. The streak forgives a little: it survives two pieces in a row that clear nothing, and ends only at the third. So you can place a couple of pieces to set up the next line and still keep your multiplier.

Big scores come from long streaks and from several lines at once. Clearing two lines on a streak of 5 scores 150 for the lines alone; the same two lines with no streak score 30.

When the game ends

The game is over when none of the pieces you hold fits anywhere: the screen says "No room left". Your best score is kept on your device.

Where the game shows ads, you can watch one short ad to carry on once per game: your pieces are swapped for three small pieces that fit. Your streak starts again from nothing. Between games an ad may also be shown, but not after your first game, and at most one in three minutes.

A game you leave part-way through is kept: "Continue" on the home screen picks it up where you left it.

The daily puzzle

Every day there is one puzzle, the same for everyone in the world. Its board starts with about 14 blocks already scattered across it (never a full line), and the pieces come in the same order for every player, so scores can be compared fairly.

• Play it as often as you like that day: "Try again" starts it from the beginning, and your best of the day counts.
• There is no ad to carry on in the daily puzzle.
• A new puzzle comes at midnight UTC.
• A daily game you leave is kept apart from your classic game, so you can have one of each on the go.

The hall of fame

Sign in with Google and join the hall of fame with a name of your choice and your country, and your scores appear on two lists: Best ever, and today's daily puzzle. Each can be shown for the whole world or for one country.

Every score is checked on our server by playing the game again move by move, so the lists hold scores that were really played. Nothing is shown until you join, and you can change your name or leave at any time. The same FlexyGames account also works in Tower Defence.

Tips for a high score

• Look at all three pieces before placing the first. The order matters: place the piece that is hardest to fit while there is still room, and keep small ones for later.
• Keep room for the big ones. A 3 by 3 square or a 5-block bar can end a game on a crowded board. Try to keep one open 3 by 3 area and a long empty row or column.
• Build from the edges and corners. Pieces fit more easily against a wall than in the middle, and an open centre gives you the most choices.
• Avoid single holes. A lone empty square surrounded by blocks waits for a single block, which may not come for a while.
• Set up several lines at once. Fill two or three rows side by side up to one gap, then close them with one piece: three lines at once score six times one line.
• Use the streak's grace. You have two pieces that clear nothing before the combo breaks. Use them to prepare the next clear, then clear again.
• Go for the board clear when it is close. 300 points is worth more than most single moves.
• In the daily puzzle, learn the board. The pieces come in the same order every time you try again, so each try teaches you what is coming next.

Controls

On a phone or tablet, touch a piece and drag it onto the board. The piece is held a little above your finger so you can see where it goes, and a shadow shows where it will land and which lines it will clear. Let go to place it; let go somewhere it does not fit and it goes back.

On a computer, drag the pieces with the mouse. Esc goes back to the home screen during a game (the game is kept).

Questions and answers

Is Block Puzzle free?

Yes. It is free to play, with ads in the browser version. There is nothing to buy.

Do I need to download anything?

No. It plays in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer. If you like, you can install it as an app: on Android and in Chrome on a computer, choose "Install app" on the home screen; on an iPhone or iPad, use Safari's "Add to Home Screen". Once installed, it starts even without a connection.

Is my score saved?

Yes, your best score and the game in hand are kept on your device, without an account. Sign in and join the hall of fame to put your scores on the lists.

Which languages does it speak?

41, from English, Chinese, Hindi and Spanish to Turkish, Swahili and Vietnamese. It starts in your browser's language when it has it, and you can change it on the home screen.

Something is wrong, or I have an idea

Write to support@flexygames.com.