Have you been playing Blockhead, but found yourself getting stuck or frustrated, or having trouble with a platforming section and not sure if you're doing the right thing? Then this guide is for you! The guide assumes that you've played the first few levels and understand the basic game mechanics, but no other knowledge is required.

While nudging blocks is helpful, it's not required for the first few levels, so you might forget that the feature exists. But as early as level 12, you'll find that nudging will save you a lot of time and frustration when making precise movements.

You can nudge by holding either the Shift or Ctrl keys, or holding X on an Xbox controller. While holding this button, you can press left or right to move a block by a single "step", allowing you to line up a block horizontally. This is very handy for getting a block in position before a big jump, or to stop a green block so that it falls down a one-block-wide gap.

As a side note, the Nudge input also speeds up your cursor if you don't have a block selected. You can use this to get across the level faster if you're not using the mouse. Speaking of which...

The mouse is generally a great way to move the cursor, especially if you need to select a block on the opposite side of the level. However, using the keyboard or controller is recommended for quick, precise movements.

The first level where this is likely to be an issue is level 15; this level is beatable with a mouse, but you'll probably have much more trouble than you would with a keyboard or controller. But level 21 is virtually impossible if you're using a mouse to move the cursor, so attempt at your own risk!

Unlike many modern platformers, Blockhead does not have any form of "coyote time" - if you move off of the edge of a block, you'll start falling straight away. There are two main reasons for this: it would interfere with a lot of mechanics that lead to interesting puzzles (such as being unable to jump out of a tunnel with a low ceiling), and - let's be honest - I didn't know what it was back in 2009!

Despite this, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure you succeed at longer jumps. Obviously, if you're jumping to or from a movable block, moving them as close together as possible will reduce the distance you need to clear, allowing you to safely jump from further back.

While some jumps in Blockhead are fairly tight, there are no levels where the intended solution requires frame-perfect jumps. So the usual advice is to use the Nudge button to move a couple of steps back from the edge, then press both the jump and the left or right input at the same time. If done correctly, you should be able to clear gaps as large as the one below:



Notice how the star block is a couple of "nudges" away from falling down, so as long as you press Right and Up at roughly the same time, you'll clear the gap with ease!

It's important to know what jumps you can and cannot make. See the level below for a few examples:



In this level, each circle block can reach its target, but each diamond block cannot. To describe each case in words:

• You can clear a gap that is three blocks wide. A ceiling two blocks above can make this harder by limiting the height of the jump, but it can still be done with practice.
  
• You can clear a gap that is two blocks wide, and one block above, as long as the ceiling is at least three blocks above your starting position.
  
• You can clear a gap that is two blocks wide, and one block below by simply moving to the side; no jumping is required.
  
• You cannot clear a gap that is three blocks wide, and one block above. The block will have fallen too far by the time it reaches the far ledge.
  
• You cannot clear a gap that is two blocks wide, and one block above, if the ceiling is only two blocks above your starting position. You'll start dropping before you get a chance to reach the right ledge.
  
• You cannot clear a gap that is one block wide if there is a ceiling directly above. The ceiling makes jumping impossible, and any non-green block that moves across even a one-block-wide gap will fall into it. (On the other hand, green blocks can move across small gaps as long as they do not stop moving.)

Don't forget that when you're working with blocks that can move, the jumps will often be a tiny bit longer or shorter than this. For example, the image in the coyote section above is just barely longer than a standard three-block gap, which means that your jump timing will need to be more precise by one frame. Make sure to create the smallest gaps possible to make your jumps easier!

Hopefully this guide has helped you to understand how the game works, and exactly what blocks are and aren't capable of. If you have any other tips, feel free to share them in the comments below!