Have you noticed teens staring at their phones while they move colorful tiles? Well, these tiles appear in a trending game called Block Blast by the Chinese company Hungry Studio. It was created in late 2022, but it started going viral at the end of 2024 and is taking over the screens of most teenagers. The issue with this game is the intense addiction that comes with it, unlike any trend we have seen before.
A lot of phone games have had their time to shine, but after a while, they get old and people stop playing them. Yet it has been almost 8 months since Block Blast started trending, and no one is putting it down.
When talking to senior and Block Blast addict Molly Soloman, she said, “I knew it was gonna be popular, but I did not expect it to have the lasting impact it does.” Soloman and most other teens have seen trends come and go, and no one can predict how long they will last. However, this game is different because it is not dying out.
As teens began playing in 2024, it was not a brand-new game, however, the appearance on social media helped boost this game to the popularity level it is at today.
Solomon explained how people are bonding over this game, and it’s becoming a common conversation starter for teens. It’s crazy to think something so small, like a high score on a game, would strike up conversation, but because of the attention it has received online, it seems we might be blasting a lot longer than anticipated!
Yoni Zacks, a senior from The Blake School in Minneapolis, spoke on whether he thought people continued to play the game because they loved it, or because they did not want to feel left out, he said, “I think they’re playing it because it’s one of those games that makes you feel like you’re doing something when you’re not.”
The simplicity of Block Blast and its presence on social media have allowed it to remain popular for a long time, but that might not be a good thing. Most teens agree that this game can be addictive and hard to put down. Soloman says, “It’s one of those games where you really don’t have to put that much thought behind it, there’s skill, but you just kind of put the blocks on the board, so it’s a mindless game.”
Many of the appeals towards the game are some of the same reasons other teens are turned away. Zacks expressed that after playing the game, he did not see the hype around it. “I don’t know, it just didn’t interest me at the time, I have other games that I play that are more interesting,” he said.
His opinion might be in the minority, but most teachers can agree with him that this game has caused a disturbance in their classrooms.
When asking Zacks if he thinks the problem of teens being on their phones at school was because of Block Blast, he said, “I mean, probably just as much as the rest of your phone during the school day because phones are very distracting,” he continued, “I think people will find a way to be on their phone if they have Block Blast, or if they don’t.”
Soloman mentioned that one day in class, “I said my point, and then I continued to play Block Blast and Dr. Huston (an English and history teacher at HBHA) told me to put my phone away, but I told her I was blasting my blocks.”
Solomon’s remarks are not the only instance of the game getting overplayed in class. Zacks said, “I’ve also seen it being played a lot at school.” This game, whether or not teachers like it, has become a major distraction in the classroom.
Zacks had one final remark about the game: “You should get it if you want. I personally would never get it just because it doesn’t interest me, but if you wanna get it, go for it, just don’t get it just to be part of the trend.”
Whether you are playing Block Blast on occasion or as a full-on addict, the game has undoubtedly spread further than any other game trend and has caused harm to the way teens spend their time. The impact this game has had and the countless hours wasted while playing will be remembered.
It seems we all must remind ourselves, just because a game is trending does not mean we must fall into the claws of addiction.
