Columns — Cycle falling colors and create cascades

One shape, six colors

Every piece occupies three vertical cells, but each block independently chooses one of six colors. Position decides which column receives the stack. Color cycling decides their top-to-bottom order.

That small choice is the heart of the family. The same stack may complete a horizontal line with one order, a diagonal with another, or prepare a vertical match for the next turn.

Cycle in either direction

A clockwise cycle moves the middle color to the top, the bottom color to the middle and the top color to the bottom. Counter-clockwise reverses that order. The stack never rotates onto its side.

Columns supports Normal progression and the eight fixed Relax presets. Arcade and Classic use the same 7 × 16 field; Columns has no Crazy style.

Four-direction matches

Three or more same-colored blocks clear when they form a horizontal, vertical, rising-diagonal or falling-diagonal line. Long and intersecting matches resolve together, with shared blocks counted once.

A completely filled mixed-color row has no special meaning. Columns is a color-matching game, not a complete-row game.

Collapse and scoring

After a match disappears, blocks fall vertically into empty spaces. The board is scanned again, so a carefully ordered stack can create a second or third match without another placement.

A pass removing n unique blocks awards n × (n + 1) / 2 times the current cascade multiplier. Each successful follow-up doubles that multiplier.

In Arcade, each colored block in a new stack can carry one primary Arcade Special: Normal Bomb, Horizontal Bomb, Vertical Bomb, Lightning Bomb, Mega Bomb, Bomb Activator, or Stone Cover. It can also carry an Ice Cover. Cycling moves both layers with their colored block while Horizontal Bomb and Vertical Bomb keep their board axes. An ordinary same-color line supplies the first strike; a full row alone does not.

Normal Bomb reaches eight neighbors, Horizontal Bomb its occupied row, Vertical Bomb its occupied column, Lightning Bomb every block of its color, and Mega Bomb combines all four areas. Bomb generations resolve serially at 0.5-second intervals; each unique block destroyed only by a bomb adds 1 point, while ordinary scoring counts actual destruction. Bomb Activator disappears and triggers all settled bombs without a local blast. Stone Cover survives an ordinary match, remains fixed after settling as support and a column barrier, and only bombs destroy it.

The first strike on Ice Cover removes only ice and leaves the covered block or special inactive; a later wave can reach the exposed layer. Simultaneous activators produce one global trigger, freshly thawed blocks stay anchored during the resolution, and collapse waits for the chain before moving each column segment. Across settled, current, and preview blocks, the capacities are five bombs including Mega Bombs, three Bomb Activators, ten Stone Covers, and ten Ice Covers.

Useful Columns habits

• Decide the landing column before cycling. It is easier to compare three color orders against one destination.
• Build diagonal hooks on both sides of a stack; the middle block can connect patterns at two heights.
• Keep wells shallow enough that all three colors still matter after landing.
• In Arcade, cycle a bomb toward the color connection that can trigger it; its row or column direction stays fixed to the board.
• When two orders score immediately, prefer the one that leaves useful colors above the cleared line for a cascade.

Common questions

Can the stack turn horizontally?

No. Rotation only cycles the three colors inside the vertical stack.

Do full rows clear?

Not by occupancy alone. Their blocks must form qualifying same-color matches.

Is Crazy available?

No. Columns offers Normal and Relax in both Arcade and Classic.

What does Arcade change?

It adds layered Arcade Specials to new stack cells while preserving Columns cycling, matching, field size and supported styles.

Do diagonal matches count?

Yes. Both diagonal directions count, as do horizontal and vertical lines.