Gemwood › How to play

How to play wood block puzzle: rules, scoring & 12 tips

Wood block puzzle is easy to learn and surprisingly deep. This guide covers the rules, how points and combos work in Gemwood: Wood Block Puzzle, what every special block does, and the strategies that help you score higher and beat more levels.

The basic rules

1. The board is an 8×8 wooden grid.
2. The tray under the board holds three blocks. Drag any of them onto the board. Blocks can't be rotated, so each one fits only the way it's shown.
3. Clear lines: when a row or a column is completely full, it clears and frees that space.
4. New blocks arrive once all three in the tray have been placed.
5. Game over happens when none of the remaining blocks fit anywhere on the board.

How scoring works

Points come from clearing lines. Clearing more lines with a single block is worth much more than clearing them separately:

Combos

Every time you clear again within three moves, your combo goes up by one, and the line points are multiplied by the combo number. Keeping a combo alive for a whole tray of blocks is the fastest way to a high score.

Perfect clear

If a clear leaves the board completely empty, you get a Perfect bonus of 3,000 points on top.

Stages and multipliers

In Classic mode you move up a stage after clearing enough lines, and higher stages raise the score multiplier. Long, steady games pay off.

Game modes in Gemwood

• Classic: the endless block puzzle. Beat your best score.
• Adventure: 300 levels in 20 worlds — from Honey Woods and Jewel Caves to Lava Forge, Starlight Galaxy and Obsidian Throne. Each level has a goal, such as collecting gems, clearing a picture or reaching a score within a move limit.
• Daily challenge: a new puzzle every day, plus daily quests and a Brain Score that grows when you play smart.

Special blocks and obstacles

• 🧊 Ice needs two clears — the first one cracks it.
• 📦 Crates hide a gem. Clear their row or column to smash them open.
• ⛓ Chains need two clears — the first one breaks the chain.
• 💣 Bombs count down with every move. Clear their row or column before the counter reaches 0.
• 🪨 Stone is the toughest block and needs three clears.

Your own tools help in tight spots: the crush bomb clears a 3×3 area, new pieces swaps the tray, undo takes back a move and hint shows a good placement.

12 tips for higher scores

1. Always leave room for the 3×3 square. It's the hardest block to fit. Keep at least one 3×3 gap open whenever you can.
2. Leave room for the long 1×5 bar. Keep a full row or column nearly empty so the 5-long pieces have somewhere to go.
3. Look at all three blocks before you place one. Plan the order: often the big piece should go first while there's still space.
4. Fill edges and corners first. Pieces fit more easily against walls, and the middle stays flexible.
5. Avoid single-cell holes. One empty cell surrounded by blocks can only be filled by the 1×1 piece — and it may never come.
6. Set up double clears. Build two rows (or a row and a column) to one-short, then finish both with one block.
7. Keep the combo alive. If you can clear a line every move or two, do it — even a small clear protects the combo.
8. Don't rush big clears. A risky setup that blocks the board can end the game. A steady 2-line clear beats a failed 4-line plan.
9. Keep the board low. Try to stay under about half full. Lots of open space means every block fits.
10. Play obstacles early. In adventure levels, clear ice, chains and stone rows early — they take several clears.
11. Watch bomb counters. Clear the bomb's row or column first, even if it isn't your best-scoring move.
12. Save tools for emergencies. Use the crush bomb or new pieces when nothing fits — not just to score a bit more.

Watch it in action