3...2...1 (Block) Blast Off!

If you have been on TikTok any time in the past few months, you might have heard of the mobile game Block Blast. For those of you who do not know, Block Blast is a game that has recently risen in popularity for its simple yet difficult gameplay. Each round, you are given three blocks that you can place on a board. If you fill an entire row or column with blocks, that section will disappear and you will gain points. If you clear multiple rows or columns at a time or in a row, you can create  a combo and gain even more points. The concept seems simple at its core, but the game can get very tricky as your score gets higher and the board fills. 

Block Blost via Block Blast.

Now, there are strategies that people use to get higher scores in Block Blast. “The Pink Heart Strategy” involves keeping a combo for as long as possible to gain more points by placing blocks in a way that the third block always clears a row or column, making it so that you have three more chances to clear more space. There are also many glitches that people use to get higher scores, such as ones that give you the same three blocks every cycle so that you are guaranteed to clear a row each time. There are also more unethical methods that people will use to get higher scores, such as utilizing a tool called Block Blast Solver. This website allows you to take a screenshot of your board and gives you the optimal solution if you do not know where to place your blocks. Many people are divided on the idea of using Block Blast Solver as some see it as immoral. However, the large majority of people don’t play Block Blast in such a competitive way; Instead, they use it for the background of TikToks. 

While most users utilize Subway Surfers in the background of videos on the app, there has been a recent influx of people instead using Block Blast on TikTok. In short, users attach storytimes to their gameplays of either Block Blast or Subway Surfers with voice changers for their followers. However, the difference between those using Subway Surfers for this purpose and those using  Block Block is that the former takes stories from apps like Reddit while the latter attaches their own experiences. The stories attached to Block Blast are tales of romance, heartbreak, personal growth, and struggles. There are several people who express less nuanced thoughts like their opinions on shows, movies, or trends through the use of Block Blast, but the most memorable videos are those of real teens opening up online. Therefore, Block Blast has proven to be a better means of TikTok storytelling, allowing people to be vulnerable. 

Users who choose to be vulnerable in this way usually don’t have the highest of scores, the reason being that they usually tell their story while still playing. Unlike Subway Surfers, Block Blast is a fairly difficult game which requires lots of thought behind each move. As a result, those who tell their stories on the app end up playing more poorly than usual. Some elitists complain about the gameplay, but overall everyone understands that they are not focusing on the game; Block Blast is just a simple way of stimulating the brain while expressing oneself. Therefore, there are two types of players in Block Blast: those who aim to receive the highest score possible using any means accessible, and those who utilize the gameplay as a visual background for their oral story. However, no matter what type of player one is, Block Blast welcomes everyone to an enjoyable experience.