Fill the Gap

Keep one “breathing space” open. A clean 3×2 area in the middle can save your whole run when big shapes show up. What you do in the game Fill the Gap is a relaxing placement puzzle. You drag shapes onto a grid and try to clear full rows and columns. Each clear gives you more space and more points. You usually get three pieces in a tray. After you place them, new pieces appear. The big idea is simple: Place pieces neatly. Clear lines often. Don’t block your future moves. It feels easy for a few turns… then the tray gives you three chunky pieces and you realize you need a plan, not luck. Controls Desktop Mouse drag to move a piece onto the grid Rotate button (or key, if shown) to turn a piece before placing Hold slot (if shown) to save one piece for later Mobile Tap + drag to place pieces Tap Rotate and Hold buttons on-screen (if your version has them) How you win / how scoring works Most runs end when you can’t place any piece from your tray. Your goal is to: Clear rows and columns to stay alive Build streaks by clearing often (some versions award bonus points for back-to-back clears) Clearing lines is the “engine” that keeps the board open. If you go too long without a clear, the grid fills up fast. Special tiles or tricky board rules (only if you see them) Some versions add special cells. If your puzzle has these, treat them like mini-goals: Bomb-style tiles: clear when included in a line clear Anchors / locked tiles: may need to be “touched” or cleared more than once Blocked/dark cells: can’t be filled, so you must work around them If you don’t see these, no worries—your main job is still clean line clears. Tips to play better (10 tips) Seed the edges first. Building along the sides keeps the center flexible. Protect the middle lanes. Think of the grid like streets you’ll want open later. Make L-shaped pockets. L spaces accept lots of pieces (bars, squares, corners). Don’t split the board in half. A long bar across the center can block future clears. Rotate with a reason. Ask: “Will this create a new clear chance next turn?” Use Hold like a promise. Save a long bar if you don’t have a clean lane yet. Keep one emergency spot. Leave a place where almost any piece can land safely. Place single blocks as “pins.” They can fix edges and set up future line clears. When the tray looks scary, clear space first. Don’t chase fancy combos. Coach voice: Slow hands. Smart pockets. Small human tip: If you keep getting stuck with S/Z shapes, make sure you always keep one open 3×2 bay somewhere on the board. It’s their favorite home. Levels / modes / progression This game is usually endless, with your progress measured by: higher scores longer streaks fewer “messy” boards If your version has challenges, the same rules apply—space is everything. Common problems & quick fixes Drag won’t work: click/tap inside the game window to refocus. Lag or stutter: close extra tabs and turn off heavy effects if settings exist. Sound missing: click once (some browsers need it), then check volume/mute. Fullscreen looks odd: set browser zoom to 100% and retry fullscreen. parent note: Fill the Gap is great for planning and calm focus. A simple break rule: “Play until one big streak ends, then take a 2-minute stretch.” 5) Quick Info: Platform: Browser (HTML5) Genre: Block placement / logic puzzle Age fit: 6–13 Session length: 5–15 minutes Controls: Drag to place; rotate/hold buttons if available 6) FAQ: Q1: What’s the goal in Fill the Gap? Clear rows and columns to keep space and score points. Q2: When should I use Hold? When a piece doesn’t fit your plan yet—especially long bars. Q3: Why do I lose suddenly? You went too long without clearing lines, so the board got crowded. Q4: Should I build in the center or edges? Edges first, center later. The center is your breathing room. Q5: Are streaks important? Yes. Frequent clears usually mean higher scores and safer boards. Q6: My pieces won’t place—what happened? The game may not be focused. Click/tap inside the play area.