Falling-block games are a strange fit for a daily. They run on reflexes, they never really end, and nobody's run is comparable to anyone else's. Cascade is our version that works once a day: everyone gets the same pieces, the run ends when the stack hits the line, and a score is something you can compare.
PerDiem Games isn't affiliated with Tetris, Puyo Puyo or the Stacker arcade game.
What is Cascade?
A row of two to five colored squares slides back and forth above an 8 by 15 board. You drop it, and each square falls straight down its own column. Land next to or on top of the same color and you score. Build a connected group of five or more that holds a 2×2 block, a line of four, an L or a T, and the whole group pops, along with any grey squares touching it. Everything above falls into the gap, and if that makes another pop, it chains.
The run ends when any column reaches the ceiling. The row also speeds up as your stack grows. The Cascade guide covers every rule.
If you like Tetris
In Tetris you fit pieces together and clear full rows. Cascade drops the fitting. Squares fall by column, so no holes ever form, and what matters is color and shape instead of rows. The skill moves from "will this fit?" to "what will this land next to, and what does it set up two drops from now?"
If you like Puyo Puyo
Puyo Puyo is the closest cousin: connect same-colored blobs, pop them, and chain the fall. Cascade asks for five or more in a shape rather than four in any form, which turns a pop into a decision instead of an accident. Grey squares play the part of the garbage: they clutter the board, but each one swept up by a pop pays a bonus.
If you like the Stacker arcade game
The arcade Stacker has you tap a button to stop a sliding row on top of the one below. Any part that doesn't line up falls away, so the tower narrows, and the row speeds up as you climb. Cascade started from exactly that tap, and then changed what happens on landing:
- Nothing gets cut for overlapping badly. Each square simply falls down its own column to whatever is there. You can't lose width, but you can lose room, because the stack gets taller and messier.
- The row can hang off the edge. Up to two squares can overhang either side, and anything off the board when you drop is thrown away. That's your only way to lose squares.
- There's a score, not a prize line. Instead of reaching the top, you chase points by matching colors and popping groups.
- It speeds up the same way. The row moves faster the taller your stack gets, so late drops feel like the last rows of Stacker.
If you like match-3 games
In match-3 you swap neighbors to line up three. In Cascade you can't rearrange anything. You only choose where a row lands, so every move is permanent, and a clever clear comes from planning two or three drops ahead instead of from swapping at the last second.
If you like Balatro
Drops score chips times a multiplier, and each match raises the multiplier, so tight color clusters pay. Chains raise it again. More on daily puzzles with Balatro-style scoring.
What does a daily change?
In an endless game, luck hides in the piece sequence: you get a bad run, you restart. A daily takes that away. The day's pieces are fixed, so a good score comes from your choices, and you can compare with anyone who played the same board. There's also a hard stop. No marathon, no "one more run": the stack holds or it doesn't, and then your score is final.
Scoring works in two layers. Every drop earns chips for the squares it touches, and those points are banked quietly while you play. The number you watch climbing is your clear score: every time a group pops, a small chip shows what it added. When the run ends, your banked drop points count up into the total and decide your bronze, silver or gold.
Tips for your first run
- Aim for five, not four. Four connected squares don't clear. If you have four in a shape, keep a spot open for the fifth.
- Clear next to the grey. Pops take touching greys with them, even diagonally, and each one adds to the clear.
- Watch the hover line. The row rides just above your tallest column, so every tall spot costs you room to move.
- Chain on purpose. When a pop drops squares into a new match, the next pop is worth more. Leave the setup, then pull the pin.
Try next
- Stacks: link touching cards that share a suit or rank, and score the stack six times.
- Theorem: swap tiles to chase the highest score.
More on puzzles with medals and shape puzzles.