Version 1.3.1 is out, and it’s one of those updates where lots of small improvements quietly make the whole game feel smoother, clearer, and more responsive. This release focuses on polish, consistency, and fixing a few long‑standing issues that players have reported.

🔧 Gameplay & Feel

• The Elapsed Time now blinks when the game is paused, making it easier to notice the state at a glance.
• The full‑row check after bomb explosions has been extended, fixing edge cases where rows weren’t clearing correctly.
• Piece movement is now more responsive thanks to optimized DAS + ARR handling.
• Bomb explosions are bigger and more satisfying, with more particles and clearer feedback.
• Random clutter blocks (bright green) are now immune to bombs, making their role clearer.

🎨 Visual & UI Polish

• Flag icons now share consistent dimensions.
• A new crosshair cursor appears when hovering over the well.
• The next piece visibility issue has been fixed.
• The game version now comes directly from the project and is shown in the main menu.

🎵 Audio

• Added a new music track to freshen up the atmosphere.

🏆 Leaderboard & Scores

• Added an “R” option to reset the leaderboard.
• Fixed the leaderboard loading procedure.
• Hiscore names can now be up to 5 characters.

🧨 Bug Fixes

• Fixed issues with bomb explosions and block falling. (Note: the bug wasn’t fully fixed in 1.2 — this time it should be solid.)

🔮 What’s next: Version 1.4

The next major update, 1.4, will introduce something I’ve wanted for a long time: a full online leaderboard system.

This means:

• Global scoreboards
• Country flags
• Automatic score submission
• A clean, minimal UI that works on desktop and mobile
• A backend designed to scale without slowing the game

It’s a big step for FiveBlocksFall — the game will finally feel connected, alive, and shared across players worldwide. I’m already deep into the implementation, and I can’t wait to show more soon. Take a look at the image for a quick preview!