The Plock Addict's Guide to Life

Plock is a 1-minute game I play on Facebook, where you click blocks and when two or more of the same color are next to each other, they disappear and you get points. It sounds simple, and it is, but it's also intricate and complex and terribly addictive. I've clearly been playing to much because lately, I've started to make analogies between Plock and life. Since I often fancy myself an amateur philosopher and you have nothing better to do, allow me to present to you these hints for Plock and Life. If you have Facebook, I highly recommend you go play a few times before reading.

• The in-game "how to play" guide only gives you the basics, and oversimplifies the patterns. It doesn't tell you all of the tips and tricks you really need to be good at the game (but that's what this strategy guide is for!)
  
  
• At the beginning, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the number of options, where to start. Later on, it's easy to be frustrated by the lack of options. Just take it one click at a time.
  
• Time is short; make the most of it.
  
• Click fast and furiously, even if that means sometimes nothing happens when you click.
  
• However, completely aimless clicking without vision for strategy will not get you very far.
  
• Try to form a strategy as you click, but don't get too fixated; allow it to flow with the changes in the game. Also, don't stop to plan because it wastes valuable time.
  
• The game is two parts luck of how the blocks fall, one part how fast you click, and one part strategy.
  
• You must keep the big picture in mind; avoid tunnel-vision.
  
• While multipliers are critical for a respectable score, becoming fixated on them will slow you down and do more harm than good. Besides, as long as you keep clicking, another one will come along.
  
• Sometimes what seems like a good place to click ends up ruining your plans.
  
• You will inevitably do something to completely screw up a perfectly good high scoring formation or worse, your entire strategy. Don't dwell on it, and continue on as best you can. Form a new strategy if you have to. Hindsight is 20-20.
  
• Sometimes what seems to be a mis-click can end up bringing together an excellent formation.
  
• Some games start off wonderfully only to fizzle out halfway through. Some games start off tough but you can bring it around and rack up some serious points before the end.
  
• Sometimes the blocks fall in a way that really helps you, sometimes they do you no good at all. They're not out to get you, and you just have to make the best of it.
  
• If you can help it, keep a safety net of at least one pair of blocks left un-clicked; these can come in handy if you get stuck.
  
• Try not to back yourself into a corner. Sometimes this is unavoidable, but know that the game is designed so there is always at least one pair of blocks to click on so you can keep going. Even if it doesn't seem to do you much good, if you keep clicking this will often cascade into a game-saving formation.
  
• Some games seem unsalvagable. If you keep playing anyway, you will sometimes end up better than you started. Sometimes, you will end up with a crappy score but valuable strategy for next time.
  
• The best way to guarantee a terrible score is to challenge someone else to see who is better.
  
• What seems like a good score the first time you play becomes a crap score once you've gotten a feel for how it's supposed to go.
  
• Even if you have the best overall score of your friends, someone out there has a higher score than you do.
  
• It's really easy to get so into playing the game and trying to get the best score (either a personal best or the best of your friends) that you ignore the important things in life.
  
• Even if you get really really good, some games are just better than others.
  
• The minute you most need to focus is when someone will walk RIGHT IN FRONT of your screen.
  
• If you start to develop carpal tunnel, if you find yourself yelling at your children for interrupting, if you find yourself feeling conspired against by the creators of the game, if you start dreaming the theme song (ok I'm not sure how this relates to life but it's happened to me), take a little break. It will probably improve your overall performance anyway. Besides,
  
• It's just a game. If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong.
  
• Just when you are really getting the hang of it, the clock will run out and it's "game over."