Block Slider Star is a Tetris-style matching game where you have a collection of blocks you have to sort into rows. When you do, the blocks disappear and you earn a few points. Block Slider Star has three gaming modes that include a 140 level adventure. Block Slider Star is one of those Windows Phone games that is easy to pick up but difficult to master and is today's AdDuplex HERO App.
The HERO Apps program is a promotional campaign for Windows Phone and Windows developers on the AdDuplex Network. The program partners AdDuplex with myAppFree, AppDeals, PluralSight and Windows Central to deliver a host of benefits to the top apps and games each month. Our role in the HERO App campaign is to offer a little exposure to these titles by sharing them with you, our readers, and today we will be featuring Block Slider Star.
Your primary menu for Block Slider Star offers up all your gaming options, access to a help section, access to the game's leaderboard and an option to visit the game's Facebook page. The only setting for Block Slider Star is a mute button that is also present on the main menu.
The three gaming modes include:
- Classic Mode: A level based game with 140 gaming levels spread across five chapters. Each level has an objective to reach before you are allowed to advance to the next level. These objectives are based on scoring, rows destroyed or specific colored blocks destroyed.
- Infinitive Mode: A more relaxed gaming mode where you control the pace at which the blocks drop (it has nothing to do with grammar).
- Survival Mode: How long can you survive until the screen fills with blocks? The longer you survive, the faster the blocks fall.
Block Slider Star will start each gaming mode off with a brief tutorial and additional instructional windows will pop-up when new gaming features come into play. The mechanics of gameplay is fairly consistent throughout each gaming mode.
At the very top of the gaming screen are your gaming stats that includes your scoring summary, level goals and diamond count (more on this in a second). You are faced with a collection of blocks that line the bottom of the screen and periodically additional blocks will fall from the top of the screen to add to the pile. Your job is to slide the blocks around to create a solid row of blocks. When you do so, they vaporize and earn you points.
Blocks located on the pile at the bottom of the screen can be tapped/held and moved into vacant spots to create this match in all three modes. Blocks can only be slid horizontally and can jump other blocks as long as a vacant spot is available for that block. The blocks fall in groups and the drops are spaced out slightly to give you a chance clear out the bottom of the screen to make room for the new blocks.
In addition to having the ability to slide the blocks around the bottom of the screen to create the matches or solid rows, you can also slide what few blocks are visible at the top of the screen. You will find the frequency in which the blocks drop in the Classic and Survival Modes occurs automatically and will increase as you progress through the game. With the Infinitive Mode, you control the rate of drops by swiping down at the screen when you are ready for more blocks.
Along with sorting the blocks and creating solid rows, Block Slider Star also includes a handful of bonus blocks that will help eliminate larger groupings of blocks when included in a row. For example, there is a block with what appears to be a bear claw symbol. When that block is included in a matched row, it explodes and takes out additional blocks. Unlike the blocks, these power-ups cannot be moved.
Lastly, you earn diamonds with each successfully completed level that you can in turn use as a power-up during later gameplay. Tap the diamond icon at the top of the screen and then a section of your stacked-up blocks and several rows of blocks will explode.
There is a lot to Block Slider Star, but it is not an overly complicated game to start playing. It will keep you challenged but will not give you fits trying to sort out how to play. In playing with the Windows Phone game over the past few days, it comes across as a fun time waster of a game with appealing graphics and plenty of gaming to be had.
Block Slider Star is a free, ad-supported Windows Phone game. You can opt out of the ad-support with a $1.99 in-app purchase. If you prefer your gaming from a larger screen, Block Slider Star is also available for Windows PC devices.
Download Block Slider Star for Windows and Windows Phone{,cta}
AdDuplex HERO Promotion
AdDuplex is a fantastic resource for the cross-promotion of Windows Phone and Windows apps. AdDuplex has launched a new program designed to help developers promote their apps even further with free access to various tools and resources from AdDuplex.
The HERO Apps promotion partners AdDuplex with Windows Central, myAppFree, AppDeals and PluralSight to provide additional benefits to the top apps every month that include:
- Vouchers to advertise on AdDuplex
- One month subscription to Pluralsight Plus
- A featured campaign with myAppFree
- A featured campaign with AppDeals
- A review here on Windows Central
If you are a Windows or Windows Phone developer, you can sign up for the HERO Apps program here at AdDuplex's website. To participate in the program, you will need to apply within thirty days after your app or game has launched on the AdDuplex network.
Windows Central is already partnered with the myAppFree campaign and is proud to be partnering up with AdDuplex with the HERO Apps program. It is another excellent opportunity to help promote both the Windows Phone and Windows platform.
Keep in mind that the HERO Apps are different than what you find with the myAppFree deals. The HERO Apps are free, ad-supported titles that often have the option to remove the ad-support via in-app purchases. The myAppFree deal delivers a paid app or game at a discounted price or for free.