Pentablocks Puzzle

🎮 Pentablocks Puzzle (Katamino)

Introduction

The Pentablocks Puzzle is a captivating and challenging tile-fitting game based on the principles of Pentominoes. The game's main objective is to successfully fit a selected set of pentomino pieces into a defined rectangular area, known as a "Penta". This digital version mirrors the classic challenge of the physical game, often known as Katamino.

The puzzle is a great way to improve spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills, offering hundreds of different puzzle combinations.

Gameplay Explanation

The game is played on a board with a fixed width of 5 cells and a variable height, which you select at the start.

1. Select Board Height: You begin by choosing a board height, ranging from 3 up to 12. This height determines the size of the rectangular area, or "Penta," you need to fill. Each height corresponds to a set number of Pentomino pieces that must be used.
2. The Pieces (Pentominoes): The pieces are called Pentominoes, which are shapes made by connecting five identical squares. The game uses various types of Pentominoes, each identified by a letter (e.g., I, L, T, X, F).
3. Solving the Puzzle: The goal is to select the unplaced pieces and arrange them on the grid so they completely cover the defined rectangular area without any overlaps or gaps.
4. Manipulating Pieces: Before placing a piece, you can change its orientation:
   • Rotate (↻): Changes the piece's orientation by 90 degrees.
   • Flip (↔): Creates a mirror image of the piece.
5. Placement:
   • Select a piece from the Pieces Container.
   • Drag and drop the piece onto the main board. The game will provide a preview to show the best available placement spot near where you drop it.
6. Removing Pieces: Pieces that have already been placed can be removed by clicking on them on the board.
7. Winning: The puzzle is solved when the entire board is filled by the selected pieces. Your time is tracked on a timer, and the best time for each board height is recorded.
8. Controls: You can use the buttons at the bottom of the screen to Undo the last move, Retry the current puzzle, or select Next to move to a new puzzle of the same height.