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Alexei Pazhitnov's got a lot to answer for. If it wasn't for his Tetris, we wouldn't have Klax, Welltris, Coloris, Hatris... the list goes on and on. Now we have Block Out. The basic principle remains the same - arrange blocks as they fall into a bin. The difference is in the choice of gimmick. Klax has paddles and tile arrangements, Coloris has alternating colours and Block Out - Block Out has 3D.

You watch the blocks as they fall into the bin from above. With a deft flip and a bit of clever rotation the pieces are manoeuvred into solid layers which disappear once complete. Butterfingers get their just reward: misplaced tiles pile upon top of each other and when a stack hits the top, it's game over. It's as simple as that.

Despite its obvious resemblance to a certain game beginning with T and ending in etris, Block Out isn't quite so easy to pick up and play. It takes time to adjust to the 3D and it takes even longer to get the hang of the controls. It seems strange that it's not soley mouse-driven - having to use the keyboard to rotate shapes is frustrating at the best of times, but when the going gets fast you seem to spend more time thinking about which key does what as opposed to what shape goes where. Still, the huge number of different available shapes (41 to Tetris' seven) gives more scope for complex, mind-bending gameplay.

Smooth presentation, randomly generated blocks and an impressive selection of pt sizes make for a slick, compelling and highly complex puzzle game.

There are only two minor negative points: the sound is stripped to the bone and some of the more complex 3D shapes are so hard to distinguish in their wire-frame state they send your brain into over-drive. After a hard day's work you may find yourself sacrificing the confusing 41-shape advanced game for the less taxing seven-piece basic set.

To block or not to block - on the ST it's an irrelevant question because a version should be knocking about in the shops now. It's identical to the Amiga in almost every way including the minimal sound effects.

For no extra outlay, PC owners get exactly the same gameplay as everybody else. Graphics come in fetching Hercules, CGA, EGA or Tandy.