Sand Blocks level guide
Sand Blocks: Drop Puzzle Level 397 Walkthrough
Level 397 has four sand columns across the top, each fed by its own tube. A receiver only fills when you push it flush against the bottom of a column of its colour. The tubes change colour as the game goes on, and the gold-framed pocket in the middle drops in a second wave of pieces once you empty it.
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How to Solve Sand Blocks Level 397 — Full Solution
- At about 1:25 on the timer, the yellow L at c3-c4 is already pressed against the yellow column; it goes from 20% to 100% by 1:23 and clears.
- At about 1:21, slide the yellow vertical up from c4 r6-r7 into the gap under the yellow column. It fills by 1:20 and clears, and the c4 tube switches to orange.
- From about 1:19 to 1:10, reshuffle the middle: drop the black vertical and cyan L lower, and line up the small green and cyan squares under c1 and c2.
- At about 1:09, the green square under c1 reads 50% and the cyan square under c2 reads 28%. Both clear by 1:08.
- Push the magenta bar up under the magenta column. It is filling at 1:02 and reaches 100% at about 1:01.
- Feed the remaining green squares to c1: one fills around 0:57-0:56 and another at 0:55. The c1 tube turns red as its green runs out.
- Stand the cyan vertical under c2. It fills around 0:48 and is gone by 0:47. Then fit the magenta L under c3; it fills between about 0:40 and 0:39 and clears by 0:38.
- Pull the white L and black pieces out of the gold pocket so it sits empty. At about 0:24 the second wave drops in: an orange bar, a red L, a magenta square, a cyan vertical, an orange vertical and a red bar.
- Clear the new wave colour by colour. The orange vertical under c4 hits 84% at 0:23 and clears at 0:22, and the magenta square is 100% under c3 at 0:21. The red L goes 47% to 100% under c1 between about 0:19 and 0:18, the orange bar 47% to 100% by 0:17, and the red bar 57% to 100% by 0:16.
- The c1 tube turns white and c4 turns black. The cyan vertical clears under c2 at about 0:15, and the black vertical starts filling under c4 at the same moment.
- Finish with the L shapes. The first white L goes 13% to 85% under c1 at 0:14-0:13, and the cyan L goes 18% to 87% under c2 at 0:12-0:11. The black L climbs from 9% to 66% under c4 at 0:10-0:09.
- Last, lift the bottom white L to c1. It reaches 100% at about 0:07 and SAND BLOCKS appears.
Colors in this level:
Green, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Orange, Red, White, Black
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Waiting a few seconds with the yellow vertical. The c4 column turns orange, and there is no more yellow.
- Parking a receiver one row below a column. It has to touch the sand column to fill.
- Leaving the gold pocket half full. The second wave only drops in once the pocket is empty.
Quick Tips for Sand Blocks Level 397 (quick clues)
- A receiver has to sit directly under a column and touch it. Hovering one row lower does nothing.
- Use yellow on c4 right away; that column turns orange within about four seconds.
- Leave the white L pieces for the end; c1 only turns white in the last twenty seconds.
Board notes 5 details
- Layout
- Four columns. Along the top, sand columns under their tubes: green c1, cyan c2, magenta c3, yellow c4. Below: white L c1-c2 r3-r4 with a small cyan square tucked into it at c2 r4, yellow L c3-c4 r3-r4 over a black vertical c3 r4-r5, green square c4 r5, magenta bar c1-c2 r5, green square c2 r6, cyan L c2-c3 r6-r7, yellow vertical c4 r6-r7, magenta L c1-c2 r7-r8, then green and magenta squares at c3 r8 and c4 r8. The r3-r5 block is outlined in gold.
- Goal
- Fill every receiver from the column that matches it, keeping up as the tubes switch colour (c1 green to red to white, c4 yellow to orange to black), empty the gold pocket to get its second wave, and clear everything before the 1:25 timer runs out.
- Opening
- The yellow L already touches the yellow column and fills from 20% to 100% in the first two seconds. Lift the yellow vertical from c4 r6-r7 into the same spot right away, because c4 turns orange as soon as its yellow runs out.
- Danger Zone
- Each tube switches colour once its column empties, so a piece that misses its colour window waits for the next cycle or never fills. The yellow vertical has to reach c4 while yellow is still there, and the green squares have to be used before c1 turns red.
- Mechanics
- Column-contact filling, four tubes that change colour independently, and a gold-framed pocket (r3-r5) that drops in a second wave once cleared: an orange bar, a red L, a magenta square, a cyan vertical, an orange vertical and a red bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do receivers fill on this level?
Push a receiver flush against the bottom of the sand column of the same colour at the top of the board. Each column is refilled by its own tube until that tube switches colour.
What is the gold-framed area in the middle?
A pocket that refills. Once you empty it, at about 0:24 on the timer, a second wave drops in: orange, red, magenta and cyan pieces.
Which colours come last?
White and black. The c1 tube turns white and the c4 tube turns black in the final twenty seconds, so the white L pieces and black pieces finish the level.