Program Details

Rainbow Blocks is offered as-is. While we have done our best to test the software, usage of it is at the user's own risk and we shall not be held responsible for any damage or loss of data caused by any defect of any kind in the Rainbow Blocks program.

What do the spinning blocks do?

The spinning blocks (aka rainbow blocks) randomise the surrounding coloured blocks if you tap them. They can sometimes get you out of a jam if you have no more moves.

I hate the Christmas color scheme - how do I change it back?

You can switch back to the pastel color scheme in the Settings screen, which can be accessed from the main menu screen or the in-game pause menu.

Rainbow Blocks froze at the end of a level or after I pressed Undo, or the blocks all disappeared - how can I fix it?

If this happens on iOS 3.2 and earlier, just close the game with the home button (not the in-game quit menu) and then open it again - It should remember your game from where you left off. On iOS 4 and above you'll need to force-quit the game by pressing the home button once to exit, and then double-tapping the home button to show the application tray. Locate Rainbow Blocks in the tray, hold down on the icon until it wobbles and then hit the delete button to remove it. Launch the game again and you should find that it is unfrozen. If that doesn't work, try restarting the device by holding the power button until the "Slide to power down" message appears and sliding it, then pressing the power button again to reboot.

How can I avoid hitting the wrong block on the iPhone? The blocks are too small!

If you press the wrong block by accident, you can undo your last move from the pause menu, or by shaking the phone. Depending on the difficulty level there is a limit to the number of undos per level (to prevent cheating).

Is Rainbow Blocks compatible with the iPad?

Yes, Rainbow Blocks is fully optimised to take advantage of the iPad's larger screen and is built as a Universal App so the same version can be run on both iPhone and iPad.

I like the look of Rainbow Blocks, but I'm not sure I want to pay for it. Can I try it for free?

Yes, you can play the demo online on this page, and you can also find free "Lite" versions in both the iPhone App Store and Mac App Store that let you try the game before buying it.

Do I have to have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to play?

No, Rainbow Blocks is also available on the Mac App Store, or you can play the demo online on your desktop PC or Mac using a web browser. You can also play Rainbow Blocks in a browser on some other phones such as certain models of Android or Nokia smartphone.

I don't have the Mac App Store, how can I get it?

If you have an Intel Macintosh and are running Snow Leopard then you just need to update to the latest OS version by going to Software Update in the Apple menu. If you are not running Snow Leopard (Mac OS 10.6 or later) then you will need to buy the upgrade disc from Apple (it's not very expensive).

I don't have a Mac, or my Mac is too old to run the App Store, can I play on my PC?

Unfortunately we don't support any other platforms right now, but you can play the demo version on the web site.

What's all this about "web-based technology" - what are you on about?

Most desktop and mobile phone applications are so-called "native" apps, programmed for a specific type of computer. Native apps run really fast and can do cool things like 3D graphics, but will only work on a few different devices. By programming Rainbow Blocks using web technology we've made it possible to run it in a web browser, which means you can play it on all kinds of phones as well as laptop and desktop computers without us having to do any extra work. There's a long way to go before web apps catch up with native apps, but as you can see from Rainbow Blocks, there's already a lot of potential.

Why would I care about any of that?

If you have to ask, you probably wouldn't. But a lot of people are interested in the potential for writing games and other programs that work across platforms - that's why we've provided the source code so others can see how we've done it.

I found a bug, what should I do?

Please check our online bug tracker to see if it's a known problem. If it isn't then please add a new bug report and we will fix it as soon as possible.

I've got a great idea for a feature, how can I let you know about it?

Check the online bug tracker to see if anyone else has already suggested your feature. If they haven't then please add a new feature request - we're always glad to receive suggestions from our users.

1.7.1

• [fix] Fixed a glitch where level would sometimes end prematurely
• [fix] Fixed issue where level end message would pop up twice

1.7

• [imp] Performance enhancements for iOS 5
• [new] Christmas theme
• [new] Seasonal snow effect (iPhone 4S and iPad 2 only)
• [fix] Crash fix

1.6.2

• [fix] Fixed issue where rating dialog kept appearing after user declined to rate app

1.6.1

• [fix] Fixed a bug where blocks occasionally vanish after undo is pressed

1.6

• [new] Added sound effects and music by Steven Barnegren. You can disable these in the Settings if you'd prefer to listen to your iPod.
• [fix] Fixed level skipping bug (really!)

1.5.1

• [fix] Fixed level skipping bug
• [fix] Fixed crash on iOS 3.x
• [fix] Fixed issue with pause button position resetting after quit

1.5

• [new] Beautiful new menu screen graphics.
• [new] Alternative, high-contrast colour scheme suitable for colourblind users.
• [new] You can now adjust settings such as pause button placement from within the app.

1.4

• [new] Added Game Center support.
• [new] Added undo button to pause menu.
• [new] Added shake-to-undo feature.
• [new] Added easy and hard difficulty settings.
• [new] Added ability to specify pause button placement.
• [new] Added level column to high scores.
• [fix] Various bug fixes.

1.3

• [new] Support for iOS 4 fast application switching.
• [new] Enhanced high-resolution graphics for iPhone 4 Retina Display.
• [imp] Hardware-accelerated graphics for smoother gameplay.
• [fix] Fixed occasional lock-up at the end of a round.
• [fix] Fixed some in-game glitches.

1.2.1

• [fix] Fixed issue with entering high score.

1.2

• [new] Updated to support iPad.

1.1

• [new] Added menu screen
• [new] Added pause button
• [imp] Improved instructions
• [new] Stylish new menus
• [fix] Fixed occasional scoring bug
• [fix] Fixed occasional crash after completing game

1.0

• [new] Initial release.