Recently, a mobile game called “Block Blast” has been rising in popularity due to its fun, simple, and addictive gameplay. In Block Blast, you are given an 8×8 grid, and you gain points by lining up blocks in a row or column making them disappear (or ‘blast’).  76 percent of Lincoln-Way West students surveyed have Block Blast downloaded on their phone, and that number only rises every day due to the chatter about the game. But what makes Block Blast so exceptional?

“It’s a fun way to solve puzzles and spend time doing something ‘productive,’” says one student. Another agrees, saying, “I can’t stop playing and the colors attract my eyes to it. It’s also just satisfying.” Many seem to agree that this game is a fun and satisfying way to spend time, but is there another side of this story? “It’s affected my friends lives because when you are newly hooked on Block Blast you stop talking to people around you,” says one concerned West student. Another student confesses to this problem, admitting, “It can distract me from doing the things I need to do.” But she looks on the bright side, saying, “While I used to scroll on TikTok, now I do something that actually makes me think.”

Though not all players let it take up too much time, some are clearly taking it to an extreme. Kaitlyn Goldstein, a West student, admits to playing the game for an average of two hours a day. “It’s exhilarating,” she says. She has only had the game downloaded for a week, and already spends a sizeable chunk of her day on the app. However, she does not admit to the game causing her any problems.  Maddie Murphy, another student, has been playing daily for two months. Her high score is 62,928, over 50,000 more than the second highest score recorded at West. She admits that it can be very distracting from the real world around her. This fun puzzle game seems to have another side to it that can cause real problems in the lives of our own West students. One concerned student recalls, “I saw someone playing Block Blast while walking in the hallway; it was crazy. That just seems dangerous.”

Block Blast clearly has some committed players, and they will take their love for the game to extremes. But as long as you play at the appropriate time for an appropriate amount, the game can be a great way to exercise your mind and have fun during your free time.