Develop a Game Like Block Blast

Puzzle games like Block Blast continue to dominate the casual gaming scene because they strike the perfect balance between being easy to play and offering just enough challenge to keep things interesting. Whether you’re playing on your phone, tablet, or browser, these games are great for quick bursts of fun whenever you need a break. What makes them so appealing is how simple they are to jump into, yet they still manage to offer that satisfying mental workout. 

And with the rise of in-game purchases and ads, businesses have found a way to keep these games not only fun but also financially sustainable, reaching a wide audience while keeping players coming back for more.

Puzzle games thrive on simplicity and challenge, which makes them accessible to players of all ages. We focus on creating intuitive gameplay that encourages players to return regularly, making your platform a go-to space for casual gamers looking for quick, rewarding gameplay. IdeaUsher has a deep understanding of this dynamic, having successfully developed and launched engaging puzzle games that have captivated audiences. This is why we’re sharing this blog, so you can see how to start building a platform that draws users and keeps them coming back.

Market Growth of Puzzle Games

According to GrandViewResearch, the global games and puzzles market has seen impressive growth, valued at USD 15.09 billion in 2022 and expected to reach USD 54.19 billion by 2030, with a strong CAGR of 17.3% from 2023 to 2030. This surge is driven by a growing demand for entertainment that offers both mental stimulation and enjoyment. Puzzle games, in particular, have gained widespread appeal, thanks to their accessibility across various platforms and their ability to engage players of all ages.

Source: GrandViewResearch

Puzzle games have become a dominant force in the gaming industry, with games like Block Blast! leading downloads in 2025. Long-standing favorites such as Candy Crush Saga and Tetris continue to attract millions of players due to their simple yet addictive mechanics. The genre’s evolution, blending casual gaming with deeper strategy and role-playing elements, has allowed puzzle games to cater to a broader audience, keeping both casual players and more dedicated gamers hooked.

Partnerships have played a key role in the growth of the puzzle game market. Game developers and publishers are increasingly collaborating to improve game performance, ensure low-latency play across regions, and expand distribution channels. These alliances help puzzle games reach a global audience more efficiently while improving player support, contributing to greater player retention and satisfaction.

Why Investors Are Keen to Invest in This Niche?

The puzzle gaming market continues to gain momentum, establishing itself as one of the most promising segments in the mobile gaming industry. Its steady growth signals a resilient, highly engaged user base that actively seeks out simple yet compelling gameplay experiences. Thanks to their easy accessibility and widespread appeal across age groups, puzzle games have carved out a strong position in the mobile space.

Block Blast! exemplifies the success of its genre, generating around $1 million daily in revenue from in-app ads. It ranks among the top ad-supported mobile games globally, with over 40 million daily active users and 160 million monthly active users. Since its launch, it has surpassed 216 million downloads, highlighting its strong appeal and effective growth strategy. These figures indicate a well-structured monetization model and engaging gameplay that retains users. This success illustrates the potential of mobile puzzle game development.

Another strong performer in this space is Royal Match, created by Dream Games. In 2024 alone, it generated $1.4 billion in revenue and maintained a monthly player base of 54.3 million users. This level of success confirms that puzzle games are not just popular but capable of delivering large-scale financial returns.

Further reinforcing this trend is the recent funding success of Good Job Games, a Turkish mobile game developer. The company raised $23 million in seed funding, signaling growing investor interest in the genre and the strong belief in its long-term profitability.

To sum up, the puzzle gaming industry offers clear investment potential. With consistently high user engagement, proven monetization strategies, and sustained market growth, this sector stands out as a smart and scalable opportunity for investors in the digital entertainment space.

Puzzle Games at a Glance

Puzzle games have become a central force in the digital entertainment landscape, captivating players with their unique blend of problem-solving, pattern recognition, and logical reasoning. Rather than relying on fast reflexes, these games challenge the mind, providing players with satisfying moments of clarity and accomplishment once a puzzle is solved. 

Within the casual gaming world, which values easy access, straightforward rules, and brief play sessions, puzzle games reign supreme for their mass-market appeal.

Key Types of Puzzle Games

What Is a Puzzle Game App: Block Blast?

Block Blast is a highly engaging mobile puzzle game developed by Hungry Studio. It blends the block-placement logic of Tetris with the strategic placement style of jigsaw puzzles. Players are presented with three block shapes at a time, which they must arrange on an 8×8 grid. The objective is to complete full rows or columns to clear them and score points.

What sets it apart from Tetris is that the blocks don’t fall from above. Instead, players can place them freely anywhere on the grid. As the board fills up, the challenge increases. The game ends when no valid placements remain, pushing players to think carefully and plan several moves ahead.

How Does the Block Blast Game Work?

Block Blast is a grid-based puzzle game where players place different-shaped blocks to clear horizontal or vertical lines. The goal is to keep the grid from filling up by strategically using upcoming blocks, which are shown in a queue. The game rewards thoughtful placement with combos and high scores, creating an addictive loop without any time pressure.

1. Game State Representation

The game’s state is typically represented using a 2D array (matrix) in memory. For a 10×10 grid, this would be a 10×10 array where each cell holds a value. Empty cells are represented by 0, and filled cells are assigned a specific block ID. This method is highly efficient:

• Efficiency: Checking if a cell is occupied is a constant-time operation (O(1)), meaning it takes virtually no time to determine whether a cell is filled or empty.
• Gameplay Updates: When a player places a block, the corresponding cells in the array are updated to reflect the block’s ID, making this action quick and seamless.

2. Scoring

The game’s score is tracked using a simple integer variable. Every time the player clears a line, the score is updated based on the cleared lines. This is done in real-time and ensures that the player’s score reflects their progress immediately after each action.

3. Block Generation Algorithm

Randomness is essential to keeping the game challenging but needs to be controlled to prevent frustrating experiences. To achieve this, the game uses a Random Bag Algorithm:

How it works: A “bag” is created containing one of each possible block shape. Blocks are drawn randomly from this bag, but once a block is drawn, it is not returned to the bag until all the block types have been used. This prevents situations where only one type of block would appear repeatedly.

Fair Distribution: The algorithm ensures that players encounter a balanced mix of blocks, keeping the game winnable and engaging. It eliminates the risk of impossible-to-place blocks, allowing player skill to determine the outcome rather than bad luck.

4. Line/Column Clearing Events

Every time a block is placed, the game needs to check if any rows or columns have been completed. This is done with a grid-traversal algorithm:

• Check Rows: The algorithm checks each row to see if all cells are filled (i.e., value ≠ 0).
• Check Columns: The same process happens for columns.

Clear and Update

If a row or column is complete, it is cleared by resetting its cells to 0. The blocks above the cleared lines fall down to fill the empty space. To minimize computational cost, the algorithm only checks the rows and columns that could have been affected by the most recent block, not the entire grid.

5. Backend Architecture

For features like global leaderboards and saved progress, a solid backend infrastructure is necessary. A serverless architecture is highly effective in this case:

• Data Flow: When a game ends, the client (game on the user’s device) sends the final score and game state to a secure API endpoint.
• Validation: The backend ensures that the data is legitimate and prevents cheating by validating the request.

Database: For real-time features, a database like Firebase Firestore is ideal for live leaderboards. For ranking millions of players efficiently, Redis Sorted Sets are used to quickly sort players by score. The challenge lies in securing the APIs to prevent fraudulent submissions and maintaining low latency for a global user base.

6. Performance Optimization

For an optimal user experience, particularly on web browsers, performance is key. Several techniques are used to ensure smooth gameplay:

Drag-and-Drop Fluidity: CSS transforms are used to move the blocks, which is far more efficient than using top/left property changes.

Cross-Device Responsiveness: The UI adapts to different screen sizes and aspect ratios using responsive design, ensuring that the game looks and functions well on both small and large screens.

Smooth Animations: To keep the game visually appealing and smooth at 60 FPS, even on lower-end devices, techniques like “dirty rectangle” rendering (only redrawing parts of the screen that change) and object pooling (reusing graphical objects instead of creating and destroying them) are used.

Business Model Behind Games Like Block Blast

Block Blast is a mobile puzzle game that prioritizes user retention and long-term growth over immediate profits. It follows a free-to-play model, offering unlimited gameplay without charging players for in-app purchases or requiring a paywall for additional content. The game’s design philosophy focuses on delivering a smooth user experience by removing gameplay restrictions, which could otherwise limit the number of ads shown to users.

Advertising

The primary revenue driver for Block Blast comes from advertisements. The game displays several types of ads, including:

• Static banner ads: These are displayed at the top or bottom of the screen during gameplay.
• Interstitial ads: These ads appear between levels, creating a natural pause in the gameplay.
• Rewarded video ads: Players can choose to watch a video ad to earn rewards, such as reviving their character after failing a level.

The game generates an impressive daily revenue, estimated between $600,000 to $1 million, mostly from ad impressions.

No In-App Purchases

Unlike many other mobile games, Block Blast does not have an in-game store or offer purchases like special items or “No Ads” options. This means that monetization relies entirely on ads rather than paid content.

No Limited Gameplay

One of the key elements of Block Blast is the lack of a lives or energy system, meaning players can play as much as they want. This strategy encourages continuous play, resulting in more opportunities for ad impressions and, therefore, greater revenue.

Financial Performance

• Install Base: Block Blast has achieved over 216 million installs by 2024, setting records in the casual gaming space for downloads.
• Active Users: The game enjoys high engagement, with over 1 million downloads per day and approximately 15 million daily active users (DAU).
• Revenue Estimates: Daily revenue is estimated to be between $600,000 and $1 million, primarily driven by advertising revenue.

Growth Strategy

The game’s growth strategy is focused on maximizing user engagement and retention over time. To achieve this, the developers run extensive A/B tests (around 50 per week), though with a 97% failure rate. Despite this, their focus remains on learning and improving the user experience. AI-driven personalization is also heavily integrated to tailor the experience for individual players, ensuring that the game remains compelling and engaging over time.

Funding Rounds

Block Blast is published by Hungry Studio, which has taken a self-sustaining approach to funding its growth. Rather than relying on external investment or venture capital, the studio has reinvested the significant ad revenue generated by the game into its development and marketing efforts. As of 2025, there have been no major funding rounds or high-profile VC investments.

Benefits of Developing a Puzzle Game for Businesses

Developing a puzzle game like Block Blast is a smart move for businesses looking to boost user engagement and retention. It creates a fun, repeatable experience that keeps users coming back, increasing your brand’s visibility.

Business Advantages

1. User Acquisition & Retention

Puzzle games like Block Blast drive downloads and boost user retention. The “just one more try” hook keeps players engaged, increasing Daily Active Users (DAU) and session lengths, ensuring users are consistently exposed to your platform’s brand and services.

2. Monetization

Block Blast provides multiple revenue opportunities through non-intrusive ads and microtransactions. Rewarded video ads create positive associations with ads, boosting completion rates and ad revenue. Interstitial ads deliver high-impact impressions, while in-app purchases enable players to buy cosmetic items, boosters, or coins.

3. Brand Reinforcement

A custom-branded puzzle game reinforces brand recognition and loyalty with every moment spent playing. By offering entertainment within your platform, you increase user engagement and create a compelling reason for users to return, reducing churn.

Technical Advantages

1. Low Server Load

Puzzle games like Block Blast are inherently lightweight, with core gameplay running client-side on the user’s device. This reduces server load and infrastructure costs, making the game a cost-effective addition. Server resources are used primarily for transactional operations, such as saving progress and serving ads.

2. Easy Integration

Block Blast can be seamlessly integrated into existing platforms using standard web technologies like HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS. This makes it easy to embed the game within mobile apps or websites, providing a consistent, non-disruptive experience.

3. Scalable Architecture

Built on a modern, modular tech stack, Block Blast’s architecture can easily scale to add new features. Starting with a basic single-player experience, the game can later expand to include global leaderboards, user profiles, daily challenges, and multiplayer modes.

Core Features to Include in Puzzle Game Like Block Blast

When developing a puzzle game like Block Blast, success hinges on creating a seamless and engaging player experience. The game must incorporate essential core features, an intuitive design, and mechanics that keep players engaged over the long term. Below is a breakdown of the key features you need to include in your game development.

A. Core Gameplay Features

Design the game mechanics to be rewarding, intuitive, and skill-based to keep players invested. Each core feature should offer a clear purpose in progression, challenge, or user satisfaction.

1. Drag & Drop Grid System

The fundamental gameplay element is the drag-and-drop grid system, where players place blocks on a grid to form complete rows or columns. This mechanic must be smooth and responsive to ensure a satisfying gameplay experience, allowing players to focus on strategy rather than struggling with controls.

2. Score Tracking

A robust score tracking system is essential to keeping players motivated. Scores should be displayed in real time and tied to performance metrics, such as the number of lines cleared or time spent per level. This fosters competition and a sense of accomplishment, encouraging players to keep progressing.

3. Level Progression

Level progression ensures the game remains challenging. Each stage should introduce new challenges, such as faster gameplay, more complex block patterns, or additional obstacles. Players should feel a sense of growth and achievement as they advance through levels, keeping them engaged long-term.

4. Game-Over Logic

Game-over logic is essential when players cannot fit a new block into the grid. Clear visual prompts or animations signaling the game-over state encourage players to retry and improve their performance. This provides a sense of challenge without frustrating the player.

5. Offline Support

Offline support is a key feature for mobile users who may not always have access to a stable internet connection. Players should still be able to progress in their game, even if they are not connected to the internet while missing out only on multiplayer features or advertisements.

B. UI/UX & Game Design

Prioritize simplicity and clarity in interface design to ensure seamless navigation and control. Good UI/UX isn’t just about looks, it’s about how naturally players interact with the game world.

1. Colorful Animated Tiles

The visual design of the game plays a pivotal role in engagement. Use vibrant, colorful tiles with smooth animations that create satisfying feedback when blocks are cleared. This enhances the overall aesthetic and keeps players visually stimulated throughout the game.

2. Smooth Drag Mechanics

The drag-and-drop mechanics should be fluid and easy to control. Ensuring players can place blocks quickly and accurately with minimal delay enhances the user experience, making the game feel polished and responsive.

3. Intuitive UI for All Age Groups

The interface must be simple and easy to navigate, appealing to players of all ages. Buttons should be large and easy to interact with, and icons for game options, rewards, and levels must be clearly recognizable to ensure accessibility and enjoyment.

C. Engagement & Retention

Incorporate daily rewards, missions, and progression systems that make players return regularly. Retention grows when users feel progress, connection, and consistent value from every session.

1. Daily Challenges

Introducing daily challenges encourages players to return every day. These challenges can take the form of limited-time tasks or special objectives that provide fresh experiences and incentives for returning users.

2. Leaderboards

Leaderboards foster competition and motivation. Players can compete for high scores and rankings, driving engagement and encouraging friendly competition. Displaying top performers can make the game more dynamic and encourage players to keep playing to improve their position.

3. Progression Map

A progression map that visually shows the player’s advancement in the game adds a sense of accomplishment. Unlocking new levels or stages keeps players invested in progressing through the game and rewards them for their dedication.

Tech Stack to Use During the Development a Game like Block Blast

Choosing the right tools and technologies is crucial to ensure smooth development, scalability, and effective monetization during a puzzle game like Block Blast game development. Below, I’ve outlined the key components and tools needed for building the game in a way that’s easy to understand for business professionals, investors, and entrepreneurs.

1. Game Engine

The game engine is the foundation of game development, powering graphics and gameplay mechanics. Unity is a top choice for mobile puzzle games due to its flexibility and ease of use, supporting both 2D and 3D formats, ideal for games like Block Blast. It offers real-time rendering and physics tools for efficient development. Godot, an open-source alternative, is lightweight and great for simpler 2D games. Both engines provide essential tools to efficiently bring your game to life.

2. Frontend Development

Frontend development is about building the part of the game players interact with. For Unity, C# is the primary programming language, which is used to create complex game logic and features. If you’re looking to launch the game on both iOS and Android using a single codebase, Flutter can be a good option. It allows you to create a hybrid version of the game, saving both time and resources.

3. Backend Development

The backend handles tasks like managing user data, saving scores, and storing game progress. Node.js is an efficient tool for backend development because it allows real-time communication between the game and the server. Firebase is a cloud-based service that simplifies database management, user authentication, and cloud storage, making it easy to track player data and sync it across multiple devices.

4. Database Management

For storing and syncing game data in real time, Firebase Realtime Database is an excellent choice. It allows you to store player progress, scores, and achievements, ensuring everything is updated instantly across devices. This feature is essential for keeping players engaged and ensuring their progress is never lost.

5. Analytics

To understand how players are interacting with your game, you’ll need analytics tools. Google Analytics for Firebase provides insights into user behavior, such as how often they play, what features they use, and how long they stay engaged. GameAnalytics offers more detailed tracking, focusing on in-game events like how many levels a player has completed or how they perform in different challenges. These insights help you make data-driven decisions to improve gameplay and boost retention.

6. Ads & Monetization

Monetization is crucial to make your game profitable. AdMob, Unity Ads, and IronSource are all ad networks that allow you to display ads to your players. You can integrate rewarded video ads (where players can earn rewards for watching ads), interstitial ads (full-screen ads that appear between levels), and banner ads (smaller ads placed on the screen). These networks provide various ad formats to maximize your revenue without disrupting the gaming experience.

7. Payment APIs

For in-app purchases and subscriptions, tools like Stripe and RevenueCat simplify the payment process. These tools ensure that transactions are smooth and secure, allowing players to buy boosters, lives, or special items in the game. Apple Pay and Google Pay can also be integrated to provide a seamless checkout experience for mobile users, ensuring payments are quick and hassle-free.

Why Unity is the Preferred Engine for Puzzle Games

Unity is often the go-to choice for puzzle game development due to its user-friendly interface and versatility. It is well-suited for both 2D and 3D games, which makes it a perfect fit for puzzle games like Block Blast. Unity also provides a massive community, making it easy to find resources, tutorials, and solutions to challenges you may encounter. The engine’s cross-platform capabilities allow you to deploy your game to both iOS and Android with minimal extra effort. Its scalability ensures that your game can grow and evolve over time, keeping players engaged and coming back for more.

Step-by-Step Guide to Developing a Puzzle Game Like Block Blast

We specialize in developing engaging and profitable mobile puzzle games, just like Block Blast, tailored to meet our clients’ specific needs. From conceptualization to deployment, we follow a step-by-step process that ensures the game is not only fun but also optimized for monetization and scalability. 

Here’s how we take you through the development of a puzzle game that will captivate your audience and drive business growth.

1. Concept Finalization

We start by defining the core gameplay mechanics to ensure your game is both simple to understand and addictive. For a game like Block Blast, we design a grid-based system where players place blocks to form rows or columns. Our team ensures the game loop evolves in complexity, keeping players engaged with increasing difficulty and strategic challenges.

2. Game Design & Wireframing

Once the concept is locked in, we move on to designing the user experience. Using tools like Figma, we create wireframes that map out the game’s interface, menus, and overall flow. We ensure each element is purposeful and the game is intuitive, so players can jump right in without confusion.

3. Game Art & Animation

We believe visuals play a significant role in keeping players immersed. Our design team creates vibrant, colorful tiles, smooth animations, and engaging effects that enhance the gameplay experience. The goal is to create a visually rewarding experience that keeps players entertained and immersed in the game.

4. Development Process

With the design in place, our developers get to work. We prioritize smooth, responsive gameplay across all devices, ensuring that the user experience is flawless. On the backend, we securely store player data, including progress, scores, and achievements, so players can pick up right where they left off.

5. Ad SDK and Payment Integration

To monetize the game effectively, we integrate ad networks that offer rewarded video ads. Players can choose to watch a short ad for in-game bonuses like extra moves or boosters. We also add in-app purchases, allowing players to buy boosters or in-game currency to enhance their experience.

6. QA and Testing

Thorough testing is a critical step in our process. We test the game on multiple devices to ensure compatibility and smooth performance. Our QA team checks for issues like lag, crashes, and bugs, and addresses them before the game goes live. We also run user tests to gather valuable feedback on game difficulty, enjoyment, and ease of use.

7. Deployment

Once the game passes testing, we handle the deployment process, ensuring the game meets all the necessary guidelines for submission to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. After the game goes live, we continue monitoring its performance, addressing user feedback, and resolving any issues that arise to keep the player experience optimal.

Cost Breakdown for Developing a Puzzle Game Like Block Blast

Developing a puzzle game like Block Blast involves various costs, ranging from design and development to marketing and maintenance. Below is an overview of the key cost components you should consider when budgeting for such a project.

Total Estimated Budget: $10,000 – $100,000

Note: This cost breakdown details developing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for a puzzle game like Block Blast. Final costs may vary with game mechanics complexity and technology stack. Additional costs may occur for features like real-time multiplayer.

Key Cost-Affecting Factors

The development cost of a puzzle game like Block Blast can vary significantly based on several factors. Here are the main elements that influence the overall cost:

• Game Complexity: More complex features, such as advanced graphics, animations, or multiplayer options, increase development time and costs.
• Platform Choice: Developing for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, etc.) or creating a cross-platform game will add to the cost.
• Design and Artwork: High-quality graphics, unique character designs, and smooth animations require skilled designers, raising the budget.
• Game Engine Selection: The choice of game engine (e.g., Unity, Unreal) impacts both development time and licensing costs.
• Testing and QA: Extensive testing for various devices and debugging ensures a flawless player experience, contributing to development expenses.
• Marketing and Launch: Budget for advertising, user acquisition, and post-launch support to ensure the game’s visibility and success.

Monetization Strategy for Long-Term Growth

Scaling monetization in a puzzle game like Block Blast requires a combination of effective ad strategies, in-app purchases, and engagement tactics to maximize revenue while maintaining a great player experience. Here are key strategies for long-term growth:

1. A/B Testing Different Ad Placements

Test various ad placements, such as interstitial ads, banner ads, and rewarded video ads, to find the most effective combinations. A/B testing helps you understand which placements generate the most revenue without alienating players, ensuring an optimal balance between monetization and user experience.

2. Gamifying Monetization

Incorporate interactive features like spin-the-wheel for rewards or similar in-game events that encourage users to watch ads or purchase items in exchange for exclusive rewards. This gamified approach makes monetization feel like a fun part of the game, increasing engagement and ad revenue.

3. Implementing Cross-Promotions

Cross-promoting other games or apps from your portfolio within the game can drive additional downloads and create new revenue streams. Non-intrusive pop-ups or banners that suggest similar games to players can lead to increased installs without disrupting the gaming experience.

4. Using AI to Optimize In-App Offers

Leverage AI to personalize in-app offers based on player behavior and spending habits. AI can recommend tailored offers, such as discounted boosters or special deals, encouraging players to spend more by offering what they value most at the right time.

5. Push Notification Strategy for Re-engagement

Push notifications can be a powerful tool for re-engagement. Use them strategically to remind players of daily challenges, offer limited-time rewards, or notify them of special promotions. This helps bring players back into the game, increasing both retention and monetization.

Common Challenges for Developing a Puzzle Game

Having worked with numerous clients, we’ve seen our fair share of challenges when developing puzzle games. Over time, we’ve learned how to tackle these issues and ensure a smooth experience for both the players and developers. Here’s a breakdown of some common hurdles and our solutions.

Challenge 1: Player Frustration from Randomization

If the block sequence is purely random, players can face long stretches of difficult-to-place pieces, leading to frustration. It can make the game feel unfair, pushing players toward quitting.

The Solution

• Rather than relying on pure randomness, we implement a “Random Bag” algorithm. This involves creating a “bag” containing one of each block shape, which the game draws from without replacement. 
• This method ensures a balanced distribution of blocks, preventing sequences that feel impossible. For extra fairness, we can tweak the algorithm to give players a helpful piece when they’re stuck, maintaining a fair but challenging experience.

Challenge 2: Scaling Leaderboards for Global Users

As the player base grows globally, keeping the leaderboard fast and accurate while preventing cheating becomes challenging. Sorting and ranking millions of players in real-time can overwhelm an unoptimized database.

The Solution

• To scale efficiently, we rely on cloud services like AWS Lambda or Google Cloud Functions, which automatically adjust to demand. 
• For leaderboard management, we use Redis, with its Sorted Sets data structure, enabling real-time ranking with extremely fast performance. Redis ensures that even with millions of players, leaderboard queries are fast, secure, and scalable.

Challenge 3: Balancing Monetization Without Hurting UX

Aggressive ads or paywalls can ruin the user experience, leading to negative reviews and uninstalls. The challenge is to generate revenue without making the user feel exploited.

The Solution

• We integrate monetization in a way that feels natural to the gameplay loop. Rewarded video ads are the gold standard, players can opt to watch a short ad in exchange for an in-game benefit, like extra moves or boosters. 
• We also offer optional in-app purchases for cosmetics or convenience, avoiding a “pay-to-win” model. Lastly, we ensure interstitial ads only appear during natural breaks, like after a game ends, so they don’t disrupt active gameplay.

Challenge 4: Performance Issues Across Devices

Players will access the game on a range of devices, from high-end smartphones to older, lower-powered tablets. Slow animations or laggy gameplay will turn players away quickly.

The Solution

• We focus on efficient rendering by using HTML5 Canvas and WebGL, allowing the game’s graphics to be hardware-accelerated. This makes animations smooth and reduces the risk of lag. 
• For gameplay fluidity, we use requestAnimationFrame() to sync animations with the browser’s repaint cycle, preventing stutter and conserving battery life. Additionally, we use responsive design and manage assets efficiently, preloading textures and minimizing HTTP requests to ensure smooth performance across devices.

Tools & APIs for Building a Puzzle Game

Choosing the right technology stack is critical for game development, influencing everything from development speed to scalability and long-term sustainability. Here’s a breakdown of essential tools, frameworks, and services that can help you build a robust and engaging game like Block Blast.

1. Frontend/Game Engines

The game engine is at the heart of your game development process. Your choice depends on target platforms, team expertise, and the nature of your game.

2. Backend & Database

The backend is essential for adding features like user accounts, leaderboards, saved progress, and more. Here are a few leading options for backend services.

Firebase (Google)

Firebase is perfect for quick game development, offering everything from real-time databases to authentication and hosting. It simplifies backend management, so you can focus more on the game itself. Plus, it integrates smoothly with Unity, making scaling and data syncing a breeze.

AWS Lambda & Amazon DynamoDB

AWS is a great option if you expect a large user base and need full control over your infrastructure. With Lambda, you can run backend code without managing servers, while DynamoDB handles fast, flexible data storage. It’s scalable, reliable, and built for handling high demand.

Redis

Redis is perfect for real-time leaderboards and fast data retrieval. Its in-memory structure ensures super low-latency access, so you can rank millions of players instantly. If you need high performance and quick updates, Redis is the way to go.

3. Monetization & Ads

Turning user engagement into revenue requires careful integration of ad networks and monetization strategies.

4. Analytics & Engagement

Data-driven decisions are essential for improving player retention and game design.

GameAnalytics

GameAnalytics is tailored for games, giving you in-depth insights into player behavior, retention, and monetization. It’s simple to set up, and the customizable tracking helps you measure exactly what matters. The user-friendly dashboard makes it easy to stay on top of your game’s performance.

Firebase Analytics

If you’re already using Firebase, adding Firebase Analytics makes perfect sense. It offers powerful event tracking and user segmentation, all while integrating smoothly with other Firebase services. It’s an easy way to gather insights and improve your game.

Mixpanel

Mixpanel is perfect for teams looking to dive deep into user behavior with advanced tools like cohort analysis and funnel tracking. It helps you understand where players drop off and lets you re-engage them with targeted push notifications. If you want to boost retention and engagement, Mixpanel has you covered.

Use Case: Boosting Engagement with Gamification

One of our clients, a major e-commerce brand, came to us with a challenge: high cart abandonment rates and low daily active users. They needed a feature to boost session times and encourage daily app usage, all while fitting seamlessly into their business model. We developed a gamified solution that addressed both issues, enhancing engagement and driving revenue.

Our Solution

We proposed a custom white-label puzzle game that would integrate seamlessly into the client’s mobile app, combining the joy of gameplay with the core shopping experience.

Our development team executed a comprehensive full-stack solution:

White-Label Game Development

We built a high-performance puzzle game similar to Block Blast using Phaser.js, ensuring it worked smoothly within the client’s app shell. The game was branded with the client’s colors, logo, and assets for seamless brand recognition.

Themed Gameplay

To tie the game to the shopping experience, we designed custom blocks inspired by the client’s product categories, like shoes, electronics, and clothing. This helped players feel a connection to the brand while playing.

Loyalty Program Integration

This was a key part of our solution. We developed an API bridge to sync the game with the client’s existing loyalty points system. Users earned points for high scores and completing daily challenges, which could be redeemed for discounts on the client’s platform.

Monetization Strategy:

• Rewarded Ads: Players could watch short ads to earn in-game boosters like “undo” or “column clear.”
• Premium Boosts: Users could also purchase special in-game power-ups via in-app purchases, using the same payment system as the main app.

The Results: Exceeding KPIs

The game integration exceeded the client’s expectations, delivering measurable results:

• 27% Increase in Daily Session Duration: Users spent more time in the app, often browsing deals after playing the game.
• 15% Reduction in Cart Abandonment: Players who got stuck in their shopping journey played the game, earned points for discounts, and were more likely to return and complete their purchases.
• New Revenue Stream: The game became a profitable feature through rewarded ads and in-app purchases.

Enhanced Brand Loyalty: The game created a fun, engaging experience, differentiating the brand from competitors and strengthening user loyalty.

Conclusion

Developing a game like Block Blast involves careful planning, from defining the core mechanics to selecting the right tech stack and monetization strategies. The key to success lies in creating an engaging user experience that keeps players coming back while finding the right balance between fun and profitability. As you progress with development, focusing on user retention, constant updates, and seamless gameplay will be crucial. By paying attention to these essential factors, you can build a puzzle game that not only captivates players but also stands out in the competitive mobile game market.

Develop a Game like Block Blast with IdeaUsher!

At IdeaUsher, we don’t just develop games, we create strategic assets that drive your business forward. With a team of seasoned developers who bring over 500,000 hours of collective coding experience, including experts from top-tier companies, we approach your project with world-class engineering skills. 

This means we tackle complex challenges like scalability, security, and seamless integration, ensuring your game stands out in the market.

We handle the entire process so you can focus on what you do best, running your business:

• Strategic Game Design: We craft engaging mechanics that not only captivate players but align with your brand and business goals.
• Robust Full-Stack Development: Our team builds high-performance, scalable games with secure, reliable backends.
• Seamless Platform Integration: We ensure your game integrates effortlessly with user accounts, loyalty programs, and payment systems.
• Data-Driven Monetization: We implement monetization strategies like rewarded ads, in-app purchases, and analytics to maximize your ROI.

Ready to transform your platform and captivate your audience? Let’s build something incredible together.

Work with Ex-MAANG developers to build next-gen apps schedule your consultation now

FREE CONSULTATION

Free Consultation

FAQs