Place for the next piece too
STACKED is a falling-block puzzle. Complete a row to clear it, and keep room at the top as the ledger rises from below. Four rows cleared together make a HALVING.
Look at the landing guide before dropping. Then look at the next-piece preview and ask whether your placement leaves somewhere useful for that piece. A tidy surface is often easier to recover than a tall stack with a narrow, buried hole.
Learn the controls in Free Mode
On desktop, the default controls move with the left and right arrows, rotate with Up or X, and hard drop with Space. C uses HOLD; Z rotates in the other direction. The game displays the controls, and Settings is the place to review your setup.
On a phone, use the movement and rotation buttons below the board. HOLD saves a piece, while DROP commits it at the landing guide. Take a moment to distinguish a movement adjustment from a final drop.
Use HOLD deliberately
HOLD gives you another planning option. It is useful when a piece does not fit your current surface or when you want to preserve a shape for a clearer opportunity.
Keep checking the board rather than waiting indefinitely for one perfect piece. Each placement still needs a purpose: fill a gap, lower a high section, or make the next clear easier to reach.
Stay ahead of the ledger
The rising floor changes how much breathing room you have. A small clear that keeps the board manageable can be more useful than holding out for a large one while the top fills up.
Watch the landing guide again after a change in the board. Your earlier plan may need a different rotation or column once the available space changes.
Find a comfortable rhythm
The music and visualizer provide atmosphere around the board. Choose a music world and effects settings that leave the pieces easy for you to read. The goal is to make your decisions clearer, not to force yourself to play through distracting motion.
Start in STACKED Free Mode. When you want a leaderboard attempt, read how Ranked works and begin a separate Ranked run.