Block Out Level 998: How to Clear Stacks and Avoid Deadlocks

To solve Level 998 in Block Out, merge duplicate colors exposed on top of the board first and keep at least one empty column open as a temporary buffer. Prematurely filling open columns with mismatched pieces causes a deadlock. Route matching tiles toward columns that already share that color at their base, and only place an obstructing block into an empty slot if that transfer immediately frees two or more matching blocks beneath it.

Initial Board Analysis and Target Selection

Level 998 features deep stacks of fragmented colors with limited empty buffer space. Before making an opening move, scan the board to establish where pieces can be consolidated without wasting slots:

Exposed surface duplicates: Locate any color that appears at the top of two different columns. Merging these blocks consolidates split colors and clears room immediately.
Column anchor alignment: Check the bottom row of every column. If a column already has matching tiles at its base, treat that column as the permanent destination for that color rather than a temporary holding spot.
Shallowest mixed stacks: Target the column containing the fewest total blocks. Emptying a shallow stack gives you a secondary buffer column early in the puzzle.
Obstruction depth: Prioritize uncovering colors that sit beneath a single blocking tile rather than targeting tiles buried beneath multiple conflicting layers.

Level 998 Phase Progression

Sorting Level 998 requires distinct priorities as the board transitions from cluttered stacks to dedicated color sets.

Phase	Primary Objective	Move Strategy	Buffer Management
Opening	Clear shallow stacks	Merge surface duplicates; uncover buried base tiles	Keep at least one column completely vacant
Mid-Game	Build anchor columns	Group three-block sets into designated target columns	Use partial stacks for temporary holds
Endgame	Final color transfers	Drop isolated pairs onto exposed matching bases	Rapidly cycle empty slots to clear bottom tiles

Opening Moves

Start by merging top-layer duplicates onto matching partial stacks. Use your empty buffer strictly as a passthrough. If shifting a blocking top tile into an open slot does not immediately unlock a multi-block move beneath it, leave it in place and find an alternate sequence.

Mid-Game Consolidation

Once the top layers are sorted, fragmented single-color blocks will dominate the middle layers. Focus on deepening partial stacks toward four-block completion rather than spreading colors wide. Placing three different colors together in a single non-buffer column preserves open board space better than scattering single blocks across three separate slots.

Buffer Rules and Resolving Deadlocks

The primary failure point on Level 998 is running out of open slots with no valid color-to-color transfers remaining.

Enforce the single-buffer rule: whenever an odd block is placed into an empty column, subsequent moves must clear that column back out. Avoid sequences that leave a non-matching block stranded in your final open column without an immediate exit path.

Watch out for circular locks, which occur when Color A sits on top of Color B in one column while Color B sits on top of Color A in another. To break this lock, you must have one fully vacant column available to hold the top piece while transferring the uncovered piece to its matching stack. If no empty column is available when a circular dependency forms, the board cannot be resolved.

Endgame Stacking Limits

Standard columns hold four units. When consolidating the final four or five colors, check column capacity before making transfers. Depositing a pair into a column with only one open slot strands the remaining block in an open buffer.

Once the base colors of the final three columns are exposed, complete your penultimate color into its home column to gain a permanent open slot. Use this open space to separate the top layers of the final mixed stack and drop each piece onto its matching base to finish Level 998.