BlockOut 1.3.1

BlockOut is a 3D-tetris in which the shaft and blocks are three dimensional and the blocks can be rotated around all three axis. My own version has been made as a mother's day gift and programming exercise.

The game itself can be found here:

BlockOut.jar

and for Mac users there is an installer (1.5 or later):

BlockOutInstaller.pkg.zip

The versioning can be found on GitHub:

BlockOut in GitHub

and bugs can be reported in Sourceforge:

Tickets

Short instructions to the game

Game can be started from 'Uusi peli' and ended from 'Lopeta'. The scores can be seen from 'Ennätyslista'.

Blocks can be moved with arrows and rotated around different axis with a, s and d keys. Q, w and e keys rotate the block in the opposite directions.

A block can be dropped with space and it can be dropped by one level with +-key (and --key in some keybars).

Pause can be started and stopped with p-key (in addition to the Tauko-button).

The keys that have been chosen to the game can be switched from preferences (Asetukset).

Instructions to the preferences

Preferences can be changed in 'Asetukset'.

In the preferences you can save five different preference sets out of which one is the basics preference set (Perusasetukset). This way for example four different users can keep their preferred preferences separated. The preference set can be chosen from the left side of the preference view. When a new preference set has been made, or the old name is to be changed, the new name can be simply typed when the the set has been chosen. The changing of the name can be seen below the main title and the new name can be locked by pressing enter. The name of the basics preference can not be changed. (Although this can be done by editing asetukset.javafile)

It is possible to choose the width (leveys), height (korkeus) and the depth (syvyys) of the shaft, the used blockset (palikkasetti) and the beginning level of the game for each preference set. Additionally sounds can be switched on and off (Äänet päällä (on) / poissa (off)).

Barring the basics set the keys and colors used in the game can be changed in preferences. Changing keys (Näppäimet) can be done by pressing the button next to the description of the action (in finnish) and after that pressing the key you want attached to the action. One way to translate the descriptions would be to use Google translator. Another way would be to follow or watch my project on GitHub and thus let me know there's an interest in a translated version.

While modifying colors (Värit) you can change (click on the color), add (Lisää) and remove (Poista). The colors that you have at the moment are displayed in the left column, new color suggestions appear in the middle column and your chosen color can be locked in the right column (Valitse väri). You can return to preferences by pressing "Palaa" in the left column.

Changing the color:

1. Click on one of the colors in the left column. The number on the color tells you what level in the game the color represents.

2. Choose the color that would be better for the level from the middle column. The colors in the middle column vary according to the chosen color so you can search the best color through other colors.

3. The currently chosen color is displayed in the upper part of the right column. You can pin the color on the level by pressing 'Valitse väri' button (choose color).

Notes about points

More points are given for more filled levels at the same time.
Points are given for additional two filled levels if you empty the shaft.
Some more points are given when you drop from high positions.

Scoring tries to resemble the original BlockOut but it is possible that differences occur.

Back to lesson material (in finnish)

Development plans

It is my intention to program a possibility to change the colors of the levels. Another larger project would be to enable the creation of a blockset PERSONAL. The user would be able to collect blocks to PERSONAL from existing blocks, and even create new blocks. This or one other idea might be added during autumn holidays or hopefully at latest during christmas time.

Smaller development plans would be for example instructions/latest updates that would appear on the beginning view of the game. Additionally it would be nice to make the window scaleable. It would also be nice to make an artificial intelligence that would start playing if the game was idle for too long or when the game is opened.

More preliminary plans can be found on GitHub (in finnish).

The latest updates

1.3.1 - Fixed a bug in colors view that disabled playing. (30.7.2012)

1.3 - Colors added to preferences. (29.7.2012)

23.6.2012 A fixed bug from the scores. The smaller width of the game was in some cases larger than the larger width. Sounds have been added to the changing of the level in the game.

17.6.2012 The keys used in the game can be chosen from the preferences.

12.6.2012 The scores have been written to their final form. The form of the file will not be updated hence so the scores done will remain after this.

Back to the lesson material (in finnish)

Last modified 16.10.2012