Block Stack: a falling blocks puzzle, online free
Block Stack is a free Tetris-style falling blocks puzzle you can play online in any browser. Seven glossy gem pieces fall into a glass well: move and rotate them to fill whole rows, which shatter in a burst of light. It has a hold box, a next queue, a ghost piece, smooth wall kicks, Marathon, Sprint 40 and a Daily rush, free leaderboards and 25 badges. It works on computers and on phones, with touch controls.
How to play Block Stack
- Choose a game: Marathon, Sprint 40 or the Daily rush.
- Move the falling piece left and right and rotate it to fit the stack.
- Drop it softly or hard; the ghost outline shows where it will land.
- Fill a whole row to clear it; clear four rows at once for the biggest bonus.
- Use hold to save a piece for later, and keep clearing for combos.
- Keep the stack below the top of the well: when a piece cannot enter, the game is over.
The pieces are the seven shapes you can make from four squares: the long bar, the square, the T, the two S shapes and the two L shapes. A smooth wall kick lets a piece rotate even when it touches a wall or the stack, so tight spins are possible.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Move | ← → (or A D) | Drag sideways, or ◀ ▶ |
| Rotate right / left | ↑ or X / Z | Tap the well (left edge rotates left) |
| Soft drop | ↓ | Drag down, or ▼ |
| Hard drop | Space | Flick down, or Drop |
| Hold | C or Shift | Flick up, or Hold |
| Pause | Esc or P | Pause button |
Scoring
| Clear | Points × level |
|---|---|
| 1 row | 100 |
| 2 rows | 300 |
| 3 rows | 500 |
| 4 rows at once | 800 (back-to-back: 1,200) |
| Combo (rows with pieces in a row) | +50 per step |
| All clear (empty well) | +3,000 |
Soft drops add 1 point per row and hard drops 2 points per row. In Marathon the level rises every 10 lines, and the pieces fall faster at each level.
Modes
Marathon is the classic endless game. Start at level 1, 5, 10 or 15 and see how far you can go. Sprint 40 is a race: clear 40 lines as fast as you can. The Daily rush lasts two minutes and deals the same pieces to every player that day, so it is a fair contest of skill and speed.
Leaderboards
Marathon (best score), Sprint 40 (fastest time) and the Daily rush (best score) each have a free leaderboard for today, this week and all time. Open the podium button to see them; you only choose a nickname if you want to join.
Badges
There are 25 badges for clearing lines, four-row clears, combos, high scores, levels, fast sprints, daily streaks and more. Open the medal button in the game to see your progress.
| Badge | How to earn it |
|---|---|
| ✨ First Line | Clear your first line. |
| 🧱 Wall Breaker | Clear 100 lines. |
| 🏯 Line Legend | Clear 1,000 lines. |
| 💎 Four at Once | Clear 4 lines with one piece. |
| 👑 Gem Crusher | Clear 4 lines at once 25 times. |
| 🔁 Back to Back | Clear 4 lines at once twice in a row. |
| 🔗 Combo 5 | Clear lines with 5 pieces in a row. |
| ⛓️ Combo 10 | Clear lines with 10 pieces in a row. |
| 🫧 All Clear | Empty the whole well. |
| 🥉 10,000 Points | Score 10,000 in one game. |
| 🥈 50,000 Points | Score 50,000 in one game. |
| 🥇 200,000 Points | Score 200,000 in one game. |
| 📈 Level 5 | Reach level 5 in Marathon. |
| 🚀 Level 10 | Reach level 10 in Marathon. |
| 🌠 Level 15 | Reach level 15 in Marathon. |
| ⏱️ Sprinter | Finish a Sprint 40. |
| 💨 Quick Hands | Finish a Sprint 40 in under 2 minutes. |
| ⚡ Lightning Stack | Finish a Sprint 40 in under 1 minute. |
| 🫴 Saved for Later | Use hold 50 times. |
| ⬇️ Hard Dropper | Hard drop 500 pieces. |
| 🧩 Puzzle Builder | Place 1,000 pieces. |
| ☀️ Daily Rush | Play the Daily rush. |
| 📅 Three Days | Play the Daily rush on 3 different days. |
| 🗓️ Week of Gems | Play the Daily rush on 7 different days. |
| 🎮 Regular | Play 25 games. |
Tips from block stackers
- Keep the stack flat. A flat surface fits almost every piece; deep holes only fit the long bar.
- Leave one column open on the side and drop a long bar in it for four rows at once.
- Look at the next pieces, not only the falling one, and plan where they will go.
- Use hold wisely: keep a long bar or a piece that does not fit right now.
- Learn the hard drop. Line the piece up with the ghost and press Space: it is faster and scores more.
- Do not panic at speed. At high levels, slide pieces into place under an overhang right before they lock.
Frequently asked questions
Is Block Stack free?
Yes. Block Stack is completely free to play online, with no sign-up, no download and no in-app purchases. It runs in your browser on computers, tablets and phones, and your records and badges are saved on your device.
Is Block Stack like Tetris?
Yes, Block Stack is a Tetris-style falling blocks puzzle: seven pieces made of four blocks fall into a well, and you move and rotate them to complete rows. It has its own look, gem colours, effects and modes. Tetris is a trademark of The Tetris Company; Block Stack is an independent game and is not affiliated with or endorsed by it.
How do I play Block Stack?
Pieces fall into a well 10 blocks wide and 20 tall. Move them left and right, rotate them and drop them so that they fill whole rows. A full row shatters and everything above it slides down. If the stack reaches the top of the well, the game is over.
What are the controls?
On a keyboard use the arrow keys to move, Up or X to rotate right, Z to rotate left, Down for a soft drop and Space for a hard drop. C or Shift holds the current piece, and Esc pauses. On a phone, drag sideways to move, tap to rotate, flick down to drop and flick up to hold, or use the buttons under the well.
How does scoring work?
Clearing 1, 2, 3 or 4 rows with one piece scores 100, 300, 500 or 800 points, times your level. Four rows twice in a row earns a back-to-back bonus of 50%. Clearing rows with several pieces in a row adds a combo bonus, emptying the whole well scores an all-clear bonus, and every row a piece falls with a soft or hard drop adds 1 or 2 points.
What is the hold box?
Hold puts the falling piece aside and brings out the next one, or swaps it with the piece you held before. You can hold once per piece. Saving a long bar piece for a four-row clear is a classic trick.
What are Marathon, Sprint 40 and the Daily rush?
Marathon is endless: the speed goes up every 10 lines, and you can start at level 1, 5, 10 or 15. Sprint 40 asks you to clear 40 lines as fast as possible. The Daily rush gives everyone the same pieces for 2 minutes each day; score as much as you can.
Is there a leaderboard?
Yes. Marathon, Sprint 40 (fastest time) and the Daily rush each have a free leaderboard for today, this week and all time. Your score is saved at the end of a game; you only pick a nickname if you want to join.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. Block Stack works in portrait and landscape on phones and tablets, with touch gestures on the well and a row of big buttons for moving, rotating, dropping and holding. You can turn the buttons on or off in Settings.
Why do pieces come in a fixed mix?
Block Stack deals pieces from a shuffled bag of all seven shapes, so you never wait too long for the piece you need and never get the same piece many times in a row. The Daily rush uses the same bags for everyone, so it is fair.
Does playing block puzzles help the brain?
Puzzles like this train quick spatial thinking, planning a few moves ahead and staying calm under time pressure. Short sessions are a good mental warm-up and a relaxing break.
More puzzles: Word Tower, 2048, Snake and Sudoku.