What is Bloxorz?
Bloxorz is a logic puzzle about one block and one hole. The block is a 1x1x2 cuboid, twice as long as it is wide, and it sits on a floor of grey tiles floating in the dark. Press an arrow key and it tips end over end: sometimes it lands lying flat across two tiles, sometimes standing on a single one. The goal of every level is to drop it, standing upright, into the square hole. Tip any part of it over the edge of the floor and it falls into the void and the level restarts.
Damien Clarke of DX Interactive released it in 2007 and it spread across every game site of the Flash era. It is still played today because the idea is complete: there is no timer, no luck and no reflexes involved. Every one of the 33 levels is a question of seeing how the block will lie three or four rolls from now, and the answer is always there to be found.
How to play Bloxorz
- Press Play above. The game loads in this page and shows level 1 with its passcode.
- Roll the block with the arrow keys. Each press tips it one step in that direction.
- Keep every part of the block on the tiles. The floor has no walls, so an over-confident roll off the side ends the attempt.
- Reach the square hole and roll the block into it standing upright. Lying across it does nothing.
- Note the passcode at the start of each new level so you can come back to it later.
The trick most people learn in the first minute: a block lying flat covers two tiles and moves two tiles per roll along its length, but only one tile per roll across it. Getting the block to stand up on the exact tile you want is a matter of choosing the right sequence of long and short rolls.
Bloxorz controls
| Action | Desktop | Phone / tablet |
|---|---|---|
| Roll the block | Arrow keys | On-screen direction pad |
| Switch between split halves | Space bar | Tap the half you want to move |
| Start or restart a level | Click the button on screen | Tap the button |
| Enter a passcode | Load Stage on the title screen, then type | Load Stage, then type |
| Fullscreen | The icon under the player | The icon under the player |
The tiles and switches
- Grey tiles are solid. The block can lie or stand on them freely.
- Orange tiles are fragile. They hold a block lying flat but give way under one standing upright.
- Round switches are soft: any contact from the block triggers them.
- X switches are hard: they only react to the block standing upright on them.
- Bridges are the rows of tiles that a switch opens or closes. Some switches toggle, so a second press can take a bridge away again.
- Teleport tiles split the block into two 1x1 cubes and drop them elsewhere on the level. The halves must be rolled back together, face to face, before the block can finish.
Tips for the harder levels
- Work backwards from the hole. Decide which tile the block must stand on before its final roll, then plan the route to that tile.
- Count parity. A flat block advances two tiles along its length. If the hole is an odd number of tiles away in a straight line, you will need at least one sideways roll.
- Cross orange tiles lying down. They only break under a standing block, so a level that looks impossible is usually asking you to approach on your side.
- Read the switch before you press it. Some open a bridge, some close one, and some do both. Rolling across a soft switch by accident can shut the route you were about to use.
- With split blocks, park one half safely first. Move the half that has the harder path while the other sits somewhere it cannot fall.
- Use the passcodes. There is no shame in writing level 20’s code down. Nobody enjoys replaying nineteen levels after a slip.
Playing Bloxorz on a phone, tablet or Chromebook
The original was a Flash game and it is running here through Ruffle, an open-source Flash emulator that lives inside the page, so there is nothing to install on any device. On a touchscreen the page adds a four-way direction pad in the corner of the player; each tap is one roll. A Chromebook or a laptop with a keyboard simply uses the arrow keys. The level is small enough that it fits a phone held sideways, and the fullscreen button under the player gives it the whole screen.
Why Bloxorz is still worth playing
Most browser puzzles from 2007 have not aged well. Bloxorz has, because it never relied on anything but the rules. The difficulty curve is careful: every new mechanic gets a level of its own before it is combined with anything else, and the last stretch of levels is hard in the way a good chess problem is hard, not in the way a timer is hard. It is a game you can finish in an evening or come back to for years, and either way the moment the block drops into the hole feels exactly the same as it did the first time.
Frequently asked questions about Bloxorz
Is Bloxorz free to play here?
Yes. The game runs directly in this page. There is nothing to download or install and no account to create. Press Play and the first level loads.
What is Bloxorz?
Bloxorz is a 3D logic puzzle released in 2007 by Damien Clarke of DX Interactive. You roll a rectangular block, twice as long as it is wide, across a floor of floating tiles and try to drop it upright into a square hole. It became one of the most played browser puzzles of the Flash era and it still holds up because every level is pure logic with no luck involved.
How many levels does Bloxorz have?
Thirty-three. The first few teach the basic roll, then switches, bridges, fragile tiles, split blocks and teleporters are introduced one at a time. The last ten levels combine everything.
What are the Bloxorz level passcodes for?
Every level shows a six-digit passcode at the start. Write it down and you can jump straight back to that level on a later visit instead of replaying from level one. The codes are the same for everyone, so a friend can give you theirs.
Why does my block fall through a tile that looks solid?
Orange tiles are fragile. They hold the block lying flat but collapse when it stands vertically on one of them. Cross them on their side, or plan a route around them.
What is the difference between the round and the X switches?
A round switch is a soft switch: any contact from the block triggers it, standing or lying. An X switch is a hard switch and only reacts when the block is standing upright on it. Some switches toggle a bridge on and off, so triggering one twice may close the bridge again.
How do split blocks work?
A teleport tile breaks the block into two 1x1 cubes and sends them to two different spots. You control one cube at a time and swap with the space bar. Roll the two halves together so they touch along a face and they join back into a full block, which is the only shape that can enter the hole.
Can I play Bloxorz on a phone or tablet?
Yes. This version shows an on-screen direction pad on touch devices, so the block can be rolled without a keyboard. It plays best on a screen at least as wide as a phone held sideways.
Does the game need Flash?
No. The original Bloxorz was a Flash game, and this page runs it through Ruffle, a Flash emulator that works in every modern browser. Nothing has to be installed and no plugin is involved.
