How to make a stacking puzzle
How to make a block-stacking puzzle with AI
Updated
Quick answer
There are two different games hiding in this phrase: pieces that fall into a well and clear lines, and objects you balance into a tower. Decide which one you mean first, because they play nothing alike. Describe the pieces and the rule that removes them or tips them over, and Teleplay builds it for the browser.
Stacking and matching games on Teleplay
Pick your kind of stacking
| Falling pieces | Balanced tower | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Turn and place pieces in a grid | Drop objects and let physics decide |
| What ends it | The pile reaches the top | The tower falls |
| Hard part for an AI build | Exact rotation and clearing rules | Physics that feels fair |
| Words to use | well, rows, clear, rotate, next piece | drop, wobble, wind, tower height |
A real prompt for the tower kind
Wind, frost and storm are doing real work in this sentence. They raise the difficulty without any new rule for the player to learn.
Guide a paper heron to drop moon-stones and build a wobbling cairn through wind, frost and storm until it touches the night stars.
This prompt made Starcairn
Writing the falling-piece kind
1.Say the shape of the well
How many columns wide, and whether pieces fall one cell at a time. A narrow well is harder.
2.Invent your own pieces
The seven famous four-cell shapes are a recognizable part of one specific game. Design your own set: three-cell pieces, jars, books on a shelf.
3.State the clear rule
A full row disappears, or matching colors do. Pick one and say what the score counts.
4.Say how speed grows
Faster after every ten rows, for example. Without this the game never gets harder.
What stays yours
Falling-block puzzles are a genre, but the most famous one is closely protected, including its look. Don't name it in your sentence: a request that names a known game or brand is refused, and Teleplay makes original games only. Your own pieces, theme and clear rule also make a better game than an imitation.
Questions
Which kind is easier to get right?
The balanced tower is more forgiving, because a little wobble is part of the fun. Falling pieces need exact rules, so read the plan carefully and test early.
Can I show the next piece?
Ask for it in the sentence or later in the editor. It makes planning possible and the game feel fairer.
Can it save high scores between players?
Ask for a best score and read the plan to see what you get. Teleplay doesn't promise a shared leaderboard.
Will a puzzle like this work on a phone?
Playing works on phones too. Pick simple controls, such as tapping to drop, for the best result.