Blockout
by Logical Design Works Released 1 Oct 1989 0 views
Quick facts
- Developer
- Logical Design Works
- Publisher
- Tec Toy, Technos Japan, Rainbow Arts, California Dreams, American Technos, Electronic Arts, Sega Entertainment, Atari, Acclaim Japan
- Released
- 1 Oct 1989
- Platforms
- Amiga, Commodore C64/128/MAX, DOS, Mac
- Themes
- Action
- Game modes
- Multiplayer, Single player
- Age rating
- ESRB: E10+
Our verdict
Blockout is a classic puzzle game.
Blockout is a 1989 3D puzzle game created by Polish developers Aleksander Ustaszewski and Mirosław Zabłocki and published by California Dreams. It takes Tetris into the third dimension. It was released for DOS, the Amiga, the Atari ST, the C64, the Atari Lynx, the Mega Drive and arcades.
Gameplay
You look down into a 3D pit as polycube blocks fall. You rotate them on three axes and move them to fill whole layers, which then disappear.
- 3D pit: Fill complete layers to clear them.
- Rotation: Rotate blocks on all three axes.
- Pit sizes: Choose different pit sizes.
- Block sets: Flat, basic or extended block sets.
- Two players: In some versions, clearing layers raises your opponent’s pit.
It’s harder than Tetris, as judging depth takes practice. The wireframe graphics are simple but clear.
It was well received, with MegaTech giving it 91% and IGN 8/10 for the Lynx version, and it led to Blockout II and Tetris Blockout.
Verdict
Blockout is a clever, addictive 3D take on Tetris. It’s tough at first, but very rewarding.
The Good
- Clever 3D Tetris
- Addictive
- Lots of options
- Clear graphics
The Bad
- Steep learning curve
- Simple presentation
- Can feel overwhelming
Trailer
Screenshots
