Falling Blocks Puzzle

A classic puzzle game in which four-square blocks fall from the top; rotate and move them to fill a whole row, and the row is cleared. It runs in the browser with a keyboard or touch, with nothing to install.

How to use

1. Choose a "Starting level" if you like, then press Space or Enter, or tap the board, to start.
2. Move with ← →, rotate with ↑ or X, move down with ↓ and drop at once with Space. On a phone, drag the board to move and tap to rotate.
3. To keep the current block for later, press C or Shift (flick up on touch) to put it in "Hold". The next three blocks are shown under "Next".
4. The game is over when the blocks reach the top. Press P to pause, and "Play again" to start a new game.

How it works

• The board is 10 squares wide and 20 high, and there are 7 kinds of block. Each run of 7 blocks contains every kind once, in random order.
• The level goes up every 10 lines. At level 1 a block falls one row per second, and each level makes the interval 0.85 times as long.
• "Show where the piece will land" marks where the block will stop. The game pauses when you switch tabs, and your best score is saved on this device only.

Questions and answers

How is the score calculated?

Clearing 1 line at once scores 100, 2 lines 300, 3 lines 500 and 4 lines 800, multiplied by the level. Clearing lines with consecutive blocks adds combo count × 50 × level, and moving down scores 1 per row, or 2 per row when dropping.

How often can I use hold?

Once per block, until that block lands. If a block is already held, the two are swapped.

Can I play on a phone?

Yes. Drag the board left or right to move, tap to rotate and flick down to drop. With "Show on-screen buttons" on, you can also use the buttons under the board.