Block Drop: how to play

Block Drop is a falling blocks game, rebuilt by Mogi. Pieces made of four squares drop into a well ten squares wide. Slide them, turn them and drop them so they fill whole rows: every full row clears, and Mogi and the crew cheer from the side. Each level asks for a set number of lines and adds one new idea, and the pieces come in the same order for everyone each day.

How to play

• Slide the piece with ← and → (or A and D). Hold the key down and it glides to the wall.
• Turn it with ↑ or X, and turn it back with Z. Next to a wall or another piece it nudges itself over so the turn still fits.
• Press ↓ to make it fall faster (1 point a row) or Space to drop it at once (2 points a row). The faint outline shows where it will land.
• On a phone or with a mouse: drag sideways to slide, tap to turn, drag down to fall faster and flick down to drop. The six buttons under the well do the same.
• Fill a whole row to clear it: 1, 2, 3 or 4 rows at once score 100, 300, 500 or 800 × the level number. Clears in a row build a combo worth up to ×10, and two four-row clears back to back score half as much again.
• If the pieces stack up to the top, you lose one of your three hearts and the top of the well is cleared so you can carry on. Lose all three and the run ends.

The five levels

1. Neon City: the basics: clear 10 lines
2. Rooftops: HOLD opens: press C, swipe up or tap the HOLD box to save a piece for later (once per piece)
3. Sewer: a junk row with one gap rises from the bottom every 8 pieces
4. Robot Factory: steel pieces are heavy and fall three times as fast
5. Glitch Zone: one-square glitch bits join the pieces to plug gaps

Clear the Glitch Zone and the five levels loop again with every idea kept: pieces fall 35% faster in lap 2 and faster again each lap, up to twice the first lap's speed. You have three hearts for the whole run, and the game is the same for everyone each day, so you can compare scores. Press M to turn the sound off or on.

Tips

• Keep the stack low and flat, and leave one column at the side open for the long piece: four rows at once score the most.
• Look at the NEXT box and plan where the next piece goes before this one lands.
• Save the long piece in HOLD when you don't need it yet.
• In the Sewer, watch the sludge meter and clear a row or two before the next junk row comes up.

Questions

Is Block Drop free?

Yes. Block Drop is free to play in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no sign-up.

How do I clear lines?

Fill every square in a row across the well. The row clears and everything above it drops down. Clearing four rows at once scores the most.

Can I play on my phone?

Yes. Drag to slide, tap to turn and flick down to drop, or use the big buttons under the well.

What happens when the blocks reach the top?

You lose one of your three hearts and the top of the well is cleared, so you can keep going. The run ends when all three hearts are gone.