How Block Puzzle Scoring Works: Why Multi-Line Clears Win
Most players know that clearing lines gives points, but few notice how sharply the reward grows when you clear several at once. Here is how scoring works in our game and what the numbers tell you about how to play.
Placement points are small
Every cell you place is worth one point. Since a typical piece has between one and five cells, placing a piece alone earns only a handful of points. Over a whole game, placement adds up slowly. The real scoring happens when lines clear.
Line bonuses grow with the square of the lines cleared
| Lines cleared at once | Base bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 40 |
| 3 | 90 |
| 4 | 160 |
| 5 | 250 |
The pattern is 10 × n², where n is the number of lines cleared with a single piece. Clearing four lines together earns 160 points. Clearing the same four lines one at a time earns only 40. That is a fourfold difference for the same amount of board space.
Combos multiply the bonus
If you clear lines on consecutive turns, you build a combo. Each additional combo level adds 50% to the line bonus. For example, at one extra combo level, a 40-point bonus becomes 60. The combo is lost after three placements in a row without a clear, so you have a short window to keep it alive.
The Perfect Clear
Emptying the entire board earns an extra 200 points. It is rare, and usually happens by accident late in a run when the board is nearly empty. It is worth noticing when you are one or two moves from it, but it is not worth building your whole strategy around.
What this means in practice
- Prefer bigger clears to more clears. Waiting one extra turn to clear three lines together beats clearing one line on each of three turns.
- Combos are a modest boost. A 50% increase is helpful, but the square growth of the base bonus is bigger. Do not trade board safety for a combo.
- Survival is the biggest multiplier. The longer you last, the more clears you make. Any move that keeps the board healthy is worth more than a small immediate bonus.
For habits that put this into practice, read 7 Strategies for a Higher Score.