Section 5: Rules of Play
Basic Turn
- Select one block from any layer below the highest completed layer.
- Using only one hand at a time, remove the selected block from the tower.
- Place that same block on the top of the tower.
- Position it at a right angle to the blocks in the layer immediately below.
- Complete the top layer with three blocks before beginning another layer above it.
- Release the block and allow the tower to remain standing to complete the turn.
Selecting and Testing Blocks
The active player may gently touch or nudge blocks to find a loose one. Only one hand may contact the tower at any given moment. The player may switch hands, but must remove one hand before the other touches the tower.
If testing moves a block out of position, the player should restore that block before touching another candidate. A clearly displaced block may be realigned with the same one-hand restriction. Players may not hold the tower steady with one hand while moving a block with the other.
Legal Source Layers
A block may be removed from any layer below the highest complete layer. If the top layer is complete, no block may be taken from that layer; the layer immediately below it is also unavailable because it is then the highest complete layer. If the top layer is incomplete, blocks may not be taken from that incomplete layer or from the complete layer directly beneath it.
Placing the Block
The removed block must be placed flat on the top level, following the three-block pattern and alternating orientation. If the current top layer has one or two blocks, the new block must continue that layer. Players may gently align the top blocks, but may not use this adjustment to brace lower layers.
End of Turn
A common timing standard treats the turn as complete ten seconds after the player releases the placed block, or as soon as the next player touches the tower, whichever happens first. For untimed casual play, the group may simply require the tower to settle visibly before the next player begins.
If the tower falls during the active player's turn or during the agreed settling period because of that player's move, that player loses the round. If only the block currently being moved falls without disturbing the rest of the tower, the player may retrieve it and continue unless the group adopted a stricter house rule.
Common Variations
- Timed turns: Give each player a fixed limit, commonly 30 or 60 seconds, beginning with the first touch.
- Two-hand beginner play: Permit two hands for young children or accessibility needs, while still prohibiting support of the tower during extraction.
- Team relay: Teams alternate players for every move and earn one team result per round.
- Truth or challenge blocks: Use pre-marked blocks carrying harmless prompts; complete the prompt after a successful placement.
- Reverse direction: Change turn direction after each successfully completed top layer.
- No testing: Once a player deliberately moves a candidate block, that block must be removed.
Variations should be announced before construction or before the first move. A variation never overrides basic safety expectations.