How to play Blockblock

The objective

Reach the other side

White starts at the bottom and races to any white square on the top edge. Black does the opposite. The board turns so you always see your own side at the bottom.

The real Blockblock gameboard in its starting position, with Black at the top and White at the bottom.White's goalBlack's goal
Every example now uses the same 11 × 11 board you play on.
Win conditionTouch any square on the opposite edge.

You do not need to land in the center.

ImportantThere is no capture.

Pawns race, jump, and block one another, but never leave the board.

Every normal turn

Choose one action

Move your pawn or place one tile card. Selecting, rotating, and previewing a card is free; the action is committed only when you move or place it.

AA real gameboard with White's legal forward, left, and right destinations highlighted.
Move

Advance your pawn

Choose one highlighted white square connected by an open lane.

or
BA real gameboard with one purple tile placed across three open build slots.
Build

Place a tile card

Rotate a card and place its shape into open build slots on the board.

A line clear is the exception: clear a full row or column and you act again with the cards still in your hand.

Pawn movement

Step, jump, or go around

Pawns move orthogonally, never diagonally on their own. A diagonal move appears only when you must go around an adjacent pawn whose straight jump is blocked.

White can move one open square forward, left, or right from its starting square.
Blue dots are legal destinations
Open lane

Move one square

Go up, down, left, or right through an open lane.

White can jump over an adjacent black pawn or move to an open square left, right, or behind it.
Blue dots are legal destinations
Pawn ahead

Jump a pawn

If a pawn is directly beside you and the lane behind it is open, jump straight over.

A white pawn moves diagonally around an adjacent black pawn because the straight jump is blocked.
Blue dots are legal destinations
Jump blocked

Go around

If that straight jump is blocked by a tile or the board edge, move to an open side of that pawn.

Tile cards

Build the board

Each player has the same 10-card deck: two I, T, L, and J cards, plus one P and one K. Card color is visual; it does not change what the shape can do.

2× I2 rotations
2× T4 rotations
2× L4 rotations
2× J4 rotations
1× P1 rotation
1× K2 rotations
A legal placement

Fits everyone's path

  • Uses a card currently in your hand.
  • Stays on the board and in build slots.
  • Does not overlap an existing tile.
  • Leaves every active pawn a route to its goal.
Not allowed

No sealed-off players

  • Covering a white pawn square.
  • Placing any part outside the board.
  • Stacking on occupied build slots.
  • Removing every possible route to a goal.

Tiles do not have to touch another tile. A separated placement is legal when all four checks above pass.

The power move

Fill a line. Clear it. Play again.

Fill every build slot across a complete row or column. All tiles on that line disappear together and you immediately receive another action.

BeforeThe real gameboard with one row nearly full and an orange I tile preview filling its final three spaces.Orange preview fills the last spaces
AfterThe same real gameboard after the completed row has cleared.Open lane + bonus action
×∞
Bonus actions can chain.

Clear another line with your next placement and you keep playing. You may also use a bonus action to move your pawn.

Hand, deck, discard

Plan with three cards

Every player has an independent 10-card deck and a three-card hand. Opponents can see your counts, but not the faces of your cards.

1
Draw 3Start the turn with a fresh hand.
2
Move or buildUse one action.
3
RefreshDiscard unplayed cards, then draw 3.
If you move

All three cards go to discard, then you draw a new hand.

If you build

The played card is consumed. The other two are discarded, then you draw three.

If you clear a line

Keep the cards left in your hand and take your bonus action before refreshing.

When the deck is empty, the discard pile is shuffled into a new deck.

Match flow

Beat the board and the clock

Only the active player's clock runs. Reaching zero ends your race, and resigning concedes your remaining placement.

Your clock, your turn

Think while your clock is running. A line-clear bonus keeps the same clock active.

First across wins

In a standard two-player race, the match ends as soon as one pawn reaches the opposite edge.

No passing

There is no pass action. Choose a legal pawn move, place a legal card, or resign.

Ready check

You know enough to race.

Keep these five ideas in mind for your first match.

  1. 1Reach the opposite edge.
  2. 2Move or build once per turn.
  3. 3Jump adjacent pawns when the lane is open.
  4. 4Never seal off every route.
  5. 5Clear a line to act again.