I’ve been studying the mechanics behind Block Blast–style puzzle games, and I’m curious about the best approaches for developing one for the web

Community Game jams
1

I’ve been studying the mechanics behind Block Blast–style puzzle games, and I’m curious about the best approaches for developing one for the web.

A few questions I’m exploring:

  • What’s the most efficient way to handle block collision and clearing logic in JavaScript or WebGL?
  • Any advice for smooth animation performance on mobile browsers?
  • Do you think using a game framework (like Phaser, PixiJS, or Unity WebGL export) is worth it for this type of puzzle game?
2

That’s really helpful, thanks for the insights! I’ve actually been experimenting with a Block Blast-style prototype myself lately — mainly focusing on how to make the block placement feel smooth and responsive on touch screens.
One thing I noticed is that getting the “snap-to-grid” behavior right makes a big difference in how satisfying it feels to play. Still tuning the clearing logic so multiple lines pop in a single frame without lag.
Has anyone here tested their builds across different mobile browsers? I’m seeing slightly different behavior between Chrome and Safari when handling rapid drag events.

1 Like
3

That’s a great topic! I’ve been experimenting with similar puzzle mechanics recently. For something like Block Blast, handling the grid logic efficiently is key — I found that using a simple 2D array to track filled and empty cells works best, then you can run a quick check after each placement to detect full rows or columns to clear.

For rendering, PixiJS is a solid option — lightweight and perfect for 2D games with smooth animations. You could also manage block movement and effects using requestAnimationFrame directly if you want to keep it minimal.

Performance-wise, just be careful with how often you redraw or update the grid — batching updates instead of redrawing everything each frame makes a big difference, especially on mobile browsers.

2 Likes