How to use the block puzzle solver
This block puzzle solver is made for the popular 8 x 8 block games, such as Block Blast (we are not affiliated with its makers or any other block game). First copy your board: tap or drag over the squares that are filled. Then copy your pieces: tap slot A, B or C and pick the matching shape from the list. Shapes are listed in every orientation, because in these games pieces cannot be turned, so pick the one that looks exactly like yours. If a piece is not in the list, open Draw a custom piece and draw it on the 5 x 5 grid.
Press Find the best placement. The answer shows how many pieces fit and how many lines they clear, then walks you through it step by step: which piece to place first, exactly which squares it covers, and which rows or columns it clears. The pieces are colored A red, B green, C blue, and the cleared lines are striped. When you have played the moves, Put the result on my board updates the board so you only need to add the next three pieces.
The rules it follows
You get three pieces at a time and must place all three before new ones come. A piece goes anywhere it fits on empty squares. Whenever a row or a column is completely filled it is cleared, and a row and a column filled by the same piece clear together. The game ends when none of your pieces fits anywhere. Points differ from app to app (many give a bonus for combos and streaks), so the solver does not try to copy any app's scoring: it counts lines.
How the solver decides
It tries everything. Three different pieces can be placed in 6 orders, and each piece has up to 64 positions on an 8 x 8 board, so it checks every order and every position, clearing lines after each piece just as the game does. That is up to about 1.5 million end positions, which takes well under a second. Among all of them it keeps the plan that:
- places the most pieces (all three whenever that is possible at all),
- clears the most lines in total,
- and, between plans that clear the same number of lines, leaves the board in the best shape.
The first two are exact: no order or position can do better. We checked this against a separate brute-force search on 300 random boards and the answers matched every time. The third step uses a simple score, and we want to be honest that it is a rule of thumb, not a proof. It rewards a board where a 3 x 3 square, a five-long line in both directions, a big corner and a 2 x 2 square can still be placed somewhere. It penalizes single empty squares boxed in on all four sides (only a single square can ever fill them), filled squares in general, and a ragged outline. The weights are our own choice. The solver cannot know which pieces come next, because they are random, so keeping room for the big awkward shapes is the best proxy we know.
When the pieces cannot all fit
If no order lets all three pieces fit, the solver says so, names the piece that will not fit, and still shows the plan that places the most pieces and clears the most lines. Sometimes the order is what saves you: a piece that has no room now can fit after another piece clears a line. The solver finds those cases because it tries every order. If no piece fits at all, the game is over on that board.
Tips for 8 x 8 block games
Keep space for a 3 x 3 square: it is the piece that ends most games. Fill from the edges and corners inward, and avoid leaving single empty squares between pieces. Try to complete rows and columns while they are still close to full rather than starting new ones. Before placing your first piece, look at all three: the right order often decides whether the third fits. That is exactly the question this solver answers.
Play mode
Switch to Play for a simple game with random pieces from the same list. Pick a piece, tap where its middle should go to see it, then tap again to place it (with a mouse, a click places it straight away). Scoring here is our own: 1 point per square placed and 10 per line. Hint runs the solver on your current pieces.
For a puzzle that uses all twelve five-square pieces at once, see the pentomino solver. If you like keeping a board open, the 2048 AI plays 2048 and suggests your best move.
Solver tested . Found a problem? Tell us.
Questions
Does the block puzzle solver rotate pieces?
No. In the popular 8 x 8 block games pieces cannot be rotated, so every orientation is listed as its own shape. Pick the one that matches your screen exactly.
Is the solution really the best?
For the number of pieces placed and lines cleared, yes: the solver checks every order and every position. When several plans clear the same number of lines, it picks one with a rule of thumb that keeps the board open, and a different choice could turn out better depending on the next pieces, which nobody can know.
What if my three pieces cannot all fit?
The solver tells you which piece does not fit and shows the plan that places the most pieces and clears the most lines. Sometimes placing the pieces in a different order makes room, and the solver always tries every order.
Can it plan for the next set of pieces?
No. New pieces are random, so the solver plans for the three you have and then prefers boards with room for big shapes like the 3 x 3 square and the five-long line.
Does it maximize points or lines?
Lines. Each app scores combos and streaks differently, so the solver counts lines cleared, which every version rewards.