How to play Block Puzzle

What is the goal?

Score as many points as you can by clearing full rows and columns before the board fills up. Clearing more lines at once, and clearing on several turns in a row, is worth much more.

How a game starts

• You see an empty 8x8 grid of squares.
• Below the board is a tray with three pieces. Each piece is a small shape made of one or more blocks.
• A box shows the next set of pieces that will arrive after you place these three.
• Your score is at the top, with your best score and a streak bar that shows your combo.

How to play, step by step

1. Look at all three pieces in the tray before you move.
2. Drag one piece onto the board and let go. It must fit inside the grid and cannot cover blocks that are already there.
3. Try to complete a full row or a full column. A completed line clears and gives points.
4. Place the other two pieces the same way. When the tray is empty, three new pieces arrive.
5. Clear a line on turn after turn to keep a combo going. Each step of the combo is worth more points.
6. Look for moves that clear two or more lines at once, because they pay much more than single lines.
7. Keep open space on the board so every new piece has somewhere to go.
8. The game ends when no piece in the tray fits anywhere. Try again and beat your best score.

How do you clear lines in block puzzle?

You clear a line by filling every square of a row or a column. In Blocktide only full rows and full columns clear, never diagonals or small squares. When a line is complete, its blocks disappear and the space becomes free again, so you can keep placing pieces.

Can you rotate the pieces in block puzzle?

In classic block puzzle you cannot rotate pieces. You place each shape exactly as it appears, so you must plan around its direction. In Blocktide this is true for Classic mode. Adventure, Daily, Blitz and Zen include an optional Rotate power-up that you tap to turn a piece.

How many pieces do you get at a time in block puzzle?

You get three pieces at a time. You can place them in any order. When you have placed all three, a new set of three arrives. Blocktide also shows a small NEXT box with the set that comes after, so you can plan one step ahead.

How does the combo work in block puzzle?

A combo grows each time you place a piece that clears a line, on turns that follow each other. Blocktide forgives a few turns without a clear: three dots show how many misses the combo can survive. Every new clear refills the dots. If you run out, the combo ends.

How do you score more points in block puzzle?

You score by placing pieces and by clearing lines. Clearing two lines in one move pays four times as much as one line, three lines pay nine times, and four lines pay sixteen times. Every step of your combo then adds more. Clearing the whole board gives a big bonus.

When does a block puzzle game end?

The game ends when none of the pieces in your tray can be placed anywhere on the board. This is why open space matters. In Blocktide, Classic mode has no timer, so you can think as long as you like. Zen mode never ends, and Blitz ends when the clock reaches zero.

Can you get stuck with pieces that never fit?

In Blocktide you will not get a hand that is impossible. Classic and Adventure only deal sets that you can place in full, in some order. The other modes always include at least one piece that fits. If you really have no move, the game ends, or in Classic you get a free swap.

How do you win and score?

Placing a piece gives one point for each block in it. Clearing lines adds more: the points grow with the square of the lines cleared at once (1, 4, 9 or 16 times a base value), and each step of your combo raises the base. Emptying the whole board adds a large All Clear bonus. In Adventure you win a level by reaching its goal before you run out of moves, and you earn up to three stars. Blitz gives you 90 seconds, and each cleared line adds 3 seconds.

Common beginner mistakes

• Filling the board with scattered single blocks, which leaves no space for big pieces.
• Placing a piece quickly without looking at the other two pieces in the tray.
• Clearing one line at a time when a slightly better move would clear two.
• Leaving a deep one-block gap that only a single square can fill.
• Ignoring the NEXT box, which shows what is coming after this set.

Tips and strategy

• Look at all three pieces first, then decide the order. The best first move is often the piece that is hardest to place.
• Keep one side of the board open. A large clear area gives long pieces somewhere to go.
• Build lines that are almost full and wait for the right piece. A row that needs only one shape is a good trap.
• Aim for two or more lines at once. They are worth far more than the same lines cleared separately.
• Do not rush to clear a single line if you can set up a bigger clear next turn.
• Avoid creating holes. Keep the edges of your blocks flat and tidy.
• Use the NEXT box to plan one step ahead, so the board is ready for the following set.
• Save the Bomb and Undo power-ups for moments when the board is nearly full.

Words to know

Row and column

A row goes across the board and a column goes up and down. Only these clear.

Combo

Clearing lines on turns that follow each other. Longer combos give more points.

All Clear

Emptying the whole board in one move. It gives a large bonus.

Tray

The area under the board that holds your three pieces.

Hold

A slot where you can park one piece and take it back later. It is available in the modes that have power-ups.

Tide Swap

When you are stuck in Classic mode, your pieces are swapped for ones that fit. You get two of these per game.

Playing Block Puzzle in Blocktide

Blocktide is a free block puzzle for Android with an 8x8 board and five modes. Classic is the endless high-score game, with an easy start and no power-ups. Adventure has 200 levels with goals, gems, move limits and stars. Daily Puzzle gives everyone the same pieces and one ranked try each day. Blitz lasts 90 seconds, and clears add time. Zen has no game over. Adventure, Daily, Blitz and Zen offer Undo, Rotate, Bomb and Hold. You can choose colours, a calm mode with softer effects, and it works offline.