Tetris (Russian:Тетрис)[a] is apuzzle video game created byAlexey Pajitnov, a Sovietsoftware engineer. In typicalTetris gameplay, fallingtetromino shapes must be neatly sorted into a pile. Once a horizontal line of the game board is filled in, it disappears, granting points and preventing the pile from overflowing. Since its initial creation, this gameplay has been used inover 220 versions, released for over 70 platforms. Newer versions frequently implement additional game mechanics, some of which have become standard over time. As of December 2024[update], these versions collectively serve as thesecond-best-selling video game series with over 520 million sales, mostly on mobile devices.
With 35 million sales as of June 2024, theGame Boy version is the best-selling version ofTetris and among thebest-selling video games of all time. Its commercial success upon release contributed to the Game Boy's success and popularizedTetris. At the end of 1995, Dorodnitsyn Computing Center's rights toTetris, arranged ten years prior, reverted to Pajitnov. He and Rogers subsequently formedthe Tetris Company to manage licensing. Guidelines for authorized releases were established, with certain features not in the original games becoming standardized over time. Versions ofTetris were released on mobile devices starting in the 2000s, withElectronic Arts (EA) holding a license onsuch ports from 2006 to 2020, to widespread commercial success.Tetris received renewed popularity in the late-2010s with the release of the critically successfulTetris Effect (2018) andTetris 99 (2019).
Tetris is frequently cited as one of thegreatest and most influential games ever made, and was among the inaugural class inducted into theWorld Video Game Hall of Fame in 2015. Its gameplay has been influential in the genre of puzzle video games, being cited as an early example ofcasual gaming. Furthermore,Tetris has been represented in a vast array of media such as architecture and art and been the subject of academic research, including studies of its potential for psychological intervention. A competitive culture has formed aroundTetris, particularly theNES version, with players – typically adolescents – competing at the annualClassic Tetris World Championship. Afilm dramatization of its development was released in 2023.
Gameplay
A typicalTetris game screen
Across its numerous versions,Tetris generally has a consistentpuzzle video game design.[1] Gameplay consists of a rectangular field in whichtetromino pieces,[b] geometric shapes consisting of four connected squares, descend from the top-center. During the descent, the player can move the piece horizontally and rotate them until they touch the bottom of the field or another piece.[3][4] The player's goal is to stack the pieces in the field to create horizontal lines of blocks.[5] When a line is completed, it disappears and the blocks placed above fall one row. The speed of the descending pieces increases as lines are cleared. The game ends if the accumulated pieces in the field block other pieces from entering the field, a process known as "topping out".[4] Common mechanics amongTetris versions include the queue (viewing the pieces that are next to appear), soft drop (increasing the descent of the piece), hard drop (instantly placing the piece as far down as it can go), and holding (reserving a piece for later use).[5]
The objective ofTetris is to collect as many points as possible during a gameplay session by clearing lines.[3]Tetris's scoring system has remained mostly consistent sinceTetris DS (2006) with some exceptions. Points gained during gameplay increase with the descent speed. The more lines cleared at once, the higher the score for a line clear. Clearing four lines at once using an I-shaped tetromino is referred to as a "Tetris". Furthermore, the player can also gain points by using hard drops or soft drops.[5] Advanced techniques, often used in competitive play, include T-spins (spinning a T-shaped tetromino into a blocked gap), perfect clears (emptying the field following a line clear), and combos (clearing lines consecutively).[6]
History
Creation (1984–1985)
Alexey Pajitnov (pictured in 2008), the creator ofTetris.
Pajitnov programmedTetris usingPascal for theRT-11 operating system on the Elektronika 60[12] and experimented with different versions.[13] Because the Elektronika 60 had nographical interface, Pajitnov modeled the field and pieces using spaces and brackets.[13] He felt that the game would be needlessly complicated with the twelve different shapes of pentominoes, so he scaled the concept down totetrominoes, of which there are only seven shapes.[10] Afterward, he programmed the basic mechanics, including the ability to flip tetrominoes as they fell in a vertical screen and the clearing of lines.[10][14][15] The nameTetris was a combination of "tetra" (meaning "four") and Pajitnov's favorite sport,tennis.[16][17] Pajitnov completed the first version ofTetrisc. 1985.[c] This version had no scoring system and no levels,[19] but it nonetheless captivated Pajitnov's peers.[20][21]
Pajitnov sought toportTetris to theIBM Personal Computer (IBM PC), which had a higher-quality display than the Elektronika 60. He recruited his colleague Dmitry Pavlovsky and the 16-year-old computer prodigyVadim Gerasimov.[22][23] UsingTurbo Pascal,[12] the three adaptedTetris to the IBM PC over two months, with Gerasimov incorporating color and Pavlovsky incorporating a scoreboard.[22][24] Floppy disk copies of this version were distributed freely throughout the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center, before spreading quickly among Moscow computer circles.[25] Pajitnov kept note of second-hand accounts ofTetris's spread during this time.[26]Tetris reportedly won second place in aZelenodolsk computer game competition in November 1985,[22] and by 1986, nearly everyone with an IBM computer in Moscow and several major cities had playedTetris.[27]
Spread beyond the Soviet Union (1985–1988)
The first version ofTetris, completed in 1985, run on an emulator of theElektronika 60
Under Soviet law, intellectual rights were not protected, and the state-run organizationElektronorgtechnica (Elorg) had a monopoly on the import and export of software.[28] Around this time, Pajitnov arranged for the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center to have the rights toTetris for ten years to ease potential legal troubles.[29] As a result, Pajitnov could not sellTetris for profit. Nonetheless, Pajitnov's manager Victor Brjabrin likedTetris and sought opportunities for success beyond the Soviet Union.[30][31] In early 1986, Brjabrin sent a copy ofTetris to the SZKI Institute of Computer Studies inBudapest.[30][31] Robert Stein, founder of Andromeda Software who profited by licensing software from Hungary to UK companies, encounteredTetris during a visit to the SZKI Institute and found its gameplay compelling.[32] Stein learned from the SZKI Institute director that they had managed to portTetris toCommodore orApple computers. He returned toLondon and contacted Dorodnitsyn Computing Center bytelex to obtain the license rights, believing he could sell those rights to a larger UK publisher.[33]
Brjabrin received the telex and, after translating it from English to Russian, disclosed it to Pajitnov, who spent days attempting to compose, translate to English, and send a favorable yet noncommittal response by telex to Stein. Despite this attempt, Stein interpreted the response as granting him the license and proceeded to find a publisher forTetris.[34] Stein pitchedTetris toJim Mackonochie ofMirrorsoft, a UK software company founded by business magnateRobert Maxwell and Mackonochie. Though Mackonochie was skeptical about the commercial potential ofTetris, he consulted Phil Adam, president of US sister company Spectrum HoloByte, for his input. During his overseas visit to Mirrorsoft, Adam playedTetris for hours and then encouraged Mackonochie to accept Stein's offer. Though still cautious, Mackonochie agreed to allow himself the licensing rights for Europe and Adam the rights for the United States and Japan.[35] Stein sold the rights to the two companies for £3,000 and royalties of 7.5–15% of sales, even though negotiations with the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center were at a standstill, with the Dorodnitsyn Computing Center being resistant to sellingTetris in the West.[36]
Gilman Louie, CEO of Spectrum HoloByte, sought to exoticize the game's Soviet origins, marketing it as the first Soviet product to be sold in North America, alongside implementing Soviet folk music and imagery during gameplay and using red packaging adorned with an illustration ofSaint Basil's Cathedral.[37][38]Tetris wasfirst commercially released in the West for the IBM PC, with ports to other computer systems planned for release in the following weeks. Mirrorsoft released the game in the United Kingdom on January 27, 1988,[39] and Spectrum HoloByte released it in the United States on January 29, 1988.[40] Mirrorsoft rewrote the code of the original IBM release for systems such as theAmiga,Atari ST, andCommodore 64.[41] Boosted byword of mouth and positive reviews,[42][43] thisTetris release was commercially successful, selling 100 thousand copies within a year.[44] At theSoftware Publishers Association's Excellence in Software Awards ceremony in 1989,Tetris won across three categories.[45]
At the time, the only document certifying a license fee was the telex from Pajitnov and Brjabrin, meaning that Stein had sold the license for a game he did not yet own. Additionally, Alexander Alexinko, director of Elorg, discovered Stein's negotiations with Pajitnov and Dorodnitsyn Computing Center and assessed their communications with disapproval. In response, Elorg took over representing the Soviet Union in negotiations.[46] Through communications, Alexinko attempted to revoke any potential deal the Soviet Union might have had with Stein in favor of having Elorg itself sellTetris internationally. Stein responded by threatening to create a scandal that would harm the Soviet Union's international standing, persuading Alexino to consider negotiating the rights toTetris.[47] An agreement was drafted by the end of February 1988 and finalized by May, granting Stein the rights toTetris on computers.[48][47]
International negotiations (1988–1989)
Henk Rogers (pictured in 2010), representing Nintendo, negotiated with Elorg for the rights toTetris.
Following the commercial release ofTetris, Spectrum HoloByte and Mirrorsoft started licensing the game to other companies for platforms that were not covered by the contract that Stein and Elorg had agreed to.[49] At the time,Henk Rogers had been seeking video games across the world to sell in Japan through his companyBullet-Proof Software; he discoveredTetris as a publicly displayed video game at the 1988 WinterConsumer Electronics Show (CES).[50] Mirrorsoft soldAtari Games subsidiaryTengen the rights to sell non-computer releases ofTetris in Japan in exchange for the rights to sell computer ports ofBlasteroids worldwide.[51] Afterward, Tengen sold the Japanese arcade rights toSega and the console rights to Rogers, who received the Japanese computer rights from Spectrum HoloByte.[52][53] Bullet-Proof Software releasedTetris for Japanese computers in November 1988 andNintendo'sFamily Computer (Famicom) in December 1988, the latter of which became commercially successful, selling two million copies in Japan.[54] Despite this, Elorg was unaware of the Famicom version and was receiving no royalties fromTetris's worldwide success.[55][56]
Around the time ofTetris's Famicom version, Nintendo developed theGame Boy, an economical handheld game console that interested Nintendo presidentHiroshi Yamauchi andNintendo of America presidentMinoru Arakawa.[57] Arakawa, aided by Nintendo of America vice presidentHoward Lincoln, sought to portTetris to the Game Boy, believing that it would be a commercial success. They were both discouraged by the convoluted nature of the game's legal rights, leading Arakawa to enlist Rogers in getting the handheld rights toTetris.[58] Rogers contacted Stein byfax in November 15, 1988, for the handheld rights, with Stein responding that he was negotiating them with Elorg. At the time, Alexinko had been replaced by the more adversarial Evgeni Belikov as director of Elorg. After failing to get the rights after multiple attempts at contacting Stein, Rogers abandoned him in favor of negotiating directly with the Soviet government.[59] In February 1989, Rogers traveled to the Soviet Union and arrived at the Elorg offices uninvited to negotiate the rights. Discussions with Rogers were scheduled the next day.[60]
While trying to persuade Elorg to grant him the handheld rights, Rogers displayed a FamicomTetriscartridge to demonstrate the game's success. Belikov did not recognize the cartridge, believing that the rights toTetris had only been signed for computer systems per the contract with Stein, and accused Rogers of illegal publication.[61][62] Though surprised, Rogers provided a check of over $40,000 to Elorg as to remedy this breach of contract and discussed granting him the console rights. Afterward, Belikov recognized the potential financial benefits of allying with Rogers over the other incoming negotiators: Stein and Robert's sonKevin Maxwell.[63] While Rogers was consulting Nintendo for a potential offer to Elorg, Belikov implicitly diminished Stein and Kevin's standing in subsequent meetings by coercing the former into signing an updated contract with an exclusionary definition of computers and baiting the latter into admitting that Mirrosoft did not have the console rights, unaware of the commercial Famicom release.[64] Rogers, alongside Arakawa and Lincoln, returned to Moscow, and after a few days of negotiation, Nintendo received both the handheld and console rights toTetris from Elorg.[65]
On March 31, 1989, taking advantage of the new agreement, Lincoln sent acease and desist fax to Hideyuki Nakajima, president of Atari Games, concerning their subsidiaryTengen's production ofTetris for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the North American equivalent to the Famicom.[66] Believing themselves to own the console rights toTetris, Tengen filed copyright applications for the game in the United States and preemptively sued Nintendo.[67][66] Meanwhile, after being informed by Kevin, Robert pressured Elorg for sidestepping prior agreements with his companies by contacting ministers from both the Soviet and UK governments.[68] In an in-person meeting, Robert informed Soviet General SecretaryMikhail Gorbachev of his situation regardingTetris, to which he responded that Robert "should no longer worry about the Japanese company".[69][70] Despite pressure from both Robert and the Soviet government, Belikov stated his refusal to concede in a conversation with Lincoln.[71]
After a marketing campaign ordered by Nakajima, Tengen releasedtheir version ofTetris on the NES on May 17, 1989, selling tens of thousands of copies within a few weeks.[72] The next month, JudgeFern M. Smith of theUS District Court for the Northern District of California presided over competing lawsuits from Atari Games and Nintendo over their console rights toTetris.[73] Both companies motioned for preliminary injunctions that would prohibit the other company from sellingTetris. On June 15, 1989, in defense of its motion for injunction, Atari Games argued that the NES fell under the definition of computers under the original contract and that Elorg only excluded consoles from its definition of computers to take advantage of higher profits from Nintendo. Based on contradicting evidence, Smith rejected this argument and declared that Mirrorsoft and Spectrum HoloByte had never received explicit authorization for marketing on consoles, granting a preliminary injunction against Atari Games on June 22.[73]
The next day, Atari Games withdrew its NES version from sale, and thousands of cartridges remained unsold in its warehouses. Preference for this release over Nintendo's led to Atari Games cartridges selling for up to $300 on thesecondary market.[74]The Game Boy version ofTetris was released in Japan on June 14, 1989,[75] and as apack-in game in the United States on July 31, 1989.[76][77]Nintendo's NES version was released the same year. Both releases achieved commercial success.[78] The Game Boy version was the primary game promoted for the Game Boy, becoming itskiller app,[79] generating $80 million in revenue,[80] and popularizing both the Game Boy and theTetris game.[81][82] The NES version quickly sold three million copies and appeared on Nintendo's most popular games list for over a year.[77][83]
On November 13, 1989, Smith ended the legal battle between Nintendo and Atari Games regardingTetris bysummary judgment, granting Nintendo the console rights toTetris.[84] In 1991, with Rogers' help, Pajitnov and his family emigrated toSeattle, where he worked as a freelance game designer.[85][86] During this time, Pajitnov worked on several sequels toTetris.Welltris (1990) involved adjusting geometrical pieces descending down one of four walls of a three-dimensional well, andHatris (1990) andFaces...tris III (1991) replaced descending tetrominoes with hats and faces respectively.[87] Though they generally received positive reviews and commercial success,[86] withFaces...Tris III winning "Best Action/Arcade Program" in the 1991 Excellence in Software Awards,[88] none replicatedTetris' success.[89][90] Other early versions and sequels ofTetris were developed without Pajitnov's involvement, including Spectrum Holobyte'sSuper Tetris (1991), Bullet-Proof Software'sTetris 2 + BomBliss (1991) andTetris Battle Gaiden (1993), and Nintendo'sTetris 2 (1993).[87]
The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software (1996–2014)
The Dorodnitsyn Computing Center's rights toTetris expired at the end of 1995, reverting back to Pajitnov.[29] Worried that Elorg, which had become a private company under Belikov following the 1991collapse of the Soviet Union,[85] would try to claim the rights, Pajitnov recruited Rogers to secure them. Rogers formedThe Tetris Company as an equal partnership between Elorg and Rogers' new company,Blue Planet Software. Rogers acquired Elorg and renamed itTetris Holding in 2005.[91][92] Since its formation, the Tetris Company has maintained guidelines for authorized versions ofTetris, and Blue Planet Software has served as an agent for theTetris brand.[87] The Tetris Company has also enforced its copyright of theTetris game against unauthorized clones,[93][94] such as in the 2012 caseTetris Holding, LLC v. Xio Interactive, Inc., where a judge ruled that the iOS gameMino violatedTetris's copyright based onlook and feel.[95]
Pajitnov and Rogers sought to keepTetris versions fresh, and innovated in new directions.Tetrisphere, developed by H2O Entertainment and released on August 11, 1997, was an example of this innovation.[87][96] Gameplay involved rotating a three-dimensional sphere to place pieces on its surface. It was the first puzzle video game on theNintendo 64 and garnered acult following.[97][98] David Crookes ofRetro Gamer calledTetrisphere "proof that the concept could be modernised and tweaked, while still being faithful to the original".[87] Another version on the Nintendo 64, the Japan-exclusiveTetris 64 (1998), allowed for four players and was the only game to utilize the Nintendo 64's Bio Sensor, which detected a player's pulse.[87][99] On other platforms around this time,Tetris Plus (1996),Tetris DX (1998), andThe Next Tetris (1999) added new game modes, andTetris: The Grand Master (1998) was an arcade game targeted toward experienced players.[87]
According to Rogers, in order to appeal to beginner players, the Tetris Company started to incorporate features not in the original releases into theTetris guidelines.[100] These features included the hold feature and ability to perform both soft drops and hard drops inThe New Tetris in 1999,[101] the easy spin and super rotation system inTetris Worlds in 2001,[102] and the scoring system introduced inTetris DS in 2006.[5] Critics pannedTetris Worlds for the easy spin mechanic, which allowed players to delay a piece's descent by continually rotating it. Despite the controversy and Pajitnov's reluctance, the mechanic was implemented into theTetris guidelines.[103][100]Tetris Worlds also introduced the super rotation system, defining how pieces are to rotate,[102] which mostTetris games have since used.[5]
Tetris was first released on mobile devices in 2001 byG-Mode.[104] In 2002, Rogers formed Blue Lava Wireless to developTetris games for mobile platforms.[87] JAMDAT acquired Blue Lava Wireless in April 2005, granting the former a 15-year license ofTetris for mobile platforms.[105] By December 2005, whenElectronic Arts (EA) started its acquisition of JAMDAT,Tetris had been consistently selling well on American carrier phones.[106] EA completed its acquisition in February 2006, granting it the mobile license forTetris.[107]EA Mobile released theirmobile version ofTetris as a launch game for theiTunes store oniPod 5G on September 11, 2006,[108][109] and on theApple App Store oniOS on July 10, 2008.[110] By January 2010, EA's mobile releases reached 100 million paid downloads, makingTetris the most popular mobile game at the time.[111]
Maya Rogers' succession and resurgence of popularity (2014–present)
Maya Rogers (pictured in 2022) succeeded her father as CEO of Blue Planet Software in January 2014.
In January 2014, after eight years of involvement, Henk Rogers' daughterMaya succeeded him as the CEO of Blue Planet Software.[d] She began by planning activities forTetris's 30th anniversary. In an interview withVentureBeat in June 2014, Maya spoke of her desire to expandTetris's brand, such as through merchandising, and keeping the game fresh.[114]Sega releasedPuyo Puyo Tetris, a crossover betweenTetris andPuyo Puyo, in Japan on February 6, 2014, for multiple platforms.[115]Puyo Puyo Tetris sold over 60,000 copies within a week, with theNintendo 3DS port being the second-highest-selling game of the week according to4Gamer.net.[116]Ubisoft'sTetris Ultimate was released on theNintendo 3DS in November 2014 and thePlayStation 4 andXbox One in December 2014.[117]Tetris Ultimate received mixed reviews, though the online multiplayer was generally seen favorably.[118][87]
In the late 2010s, theTetris series had a resurgence in popularity with the release ofTetris Effect andTetris 99.[e]PCMag credited the resurgence to the 2017 release ofPuyo Puyo Tetris in the Western world,[120] where it received positive reviews and sold 1.4 million copies worldwide by November 2020.[125][126]Tetris Effect, developed by Monstars and Resonair and published by Enhance Games,[127] was released on thePlayStation 4 on November 9, 2018,[128] and on Windows on July 23, 2019,[129] receiving widespread critical acclaim for its visuals and emotional impact.[119][130][131]Tetris 99 is abattle royale version ofTetris made available to subscribers ofNintendo Switch Online on February 13, 2019, upon its surprise announcement duringNintendo Direct.[132] It received positive reviews and became Nintendo Switch Online's killer app;[119][120][133] according to President of NintendoShuntaro Furukawa, 2.8 million Nintendo Switch Online users playedTetris 99 within a few months of release.[134]
EA announced in January 2020 that its license for mobile releases ofTetris would expire on April 21, 2020, with the game becoming inoperable as a result.[135] Video game developer N3twork subsequently released authorized mobile releases on the iOS and Android on January 23, 2020.[136] These accumulated 30 million downloads beforesocial casino company PlayStudios acquired the rights to them in November 2021.[137] On March 28, 2023, Playstudios incorporated a playAwardsloyalty program onto theTetris mobile apps, allowing players to win points for playingTetris that can be redeemed for real-life awards.[138]Tetris Forever, a compilation ofTetris games andinteractive documentary developed byDigital Eclipse, was released on November 12, 2024,[139] to positive reviews for chronicling the history ofTetris.[140][141]
Tetris has been released on a multitude of platforms since its initial creation. It is available on many game consoles, personal computers, smartphones, among other platforms. To date,Guinness World Records recognizesTetris as the video game with the most ports, totaling over 220 versions across over 70 platforms.[142][143] Across its multiple versions,Tetris's core gameplay has remained consistent.[1] Since 1996, the Tetris Company has maintained annual standard specifications for authorized versions ofTetris.[19][100] Pajitnov considers these guidelines a baseline for different versions and not "set in stone".[144] Several game mechanics ofTetris have been changed over time. For example, the distribution of tetrominoes was completely randomized in early versions, while modern versions use a "bag system", in which each tetromino is guaranteed to appear once in a set of seven.[145][146] Other mechanics that have become standardized in modern versions include the ability to hold tetrominoes to swap with later pieces, introduced inThe New Tetris (1999),[147] and the super rotation system and infinite spin, introduced inTetris Worlds (2001).[102]
The original Elektronica 60 version ofTetris had no music.[148] Spectrum Holobyte's version ofTetris in the United States exoticized the Soviet origins through elements such as Russian music, includingPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Trepak" fromThe Nutcracker andReinhold Glière's "Russian Sailor Dance" fromThe Red Poppy. This approach differed from other versions ofTetris from other countries at the time: Mirrorsoft's Commodore 64 versions in Europe used an atmospheric soundtrack, and Sega's arcade version in Japan used a synthesized pop-influenced soundtrack.[149] Nintendo's versions for NES and Game Boy continued the pattern of using Russian music. The NES version uses Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" fromThe Nutcracker as Music A, with the Russian-influenced Music B and the mellow Music C having unclear origins.[150] The Game Boy version has the 1860s Russian folk tune "Korobeiniki" for Music A, an original composition byHirokazu Tanaka for Music B, and the Menuet ofJohann Sebastian Bach'sFrench Suite no. 3 for Music C.[151] "Korobeiniki" has become primarily associated withTetris as its main theme and would be used in most significant versions within the series,[152][149] as mandated by the Tetris Company guidelines.[19]
In January 2010, EA Mobile and Blue Planet Software announced that the mobile versions ofTetris released 2005 had reached 100 million paid downloads, making it most-downloaded mobile game at the time.[163][111] In April 2014, Rogers announced in an interview withVentureBeat thatTetris totaled 425 million paid mobile downloads and 70 million physical copies.[164][165] To date, all versions ofTetris collectively serve as thesecond-best-selling video game series of all time, totaling 520 million sales according to The Tetris Company.[166][167] The majority originate from paid mobile downloads, based on Rogers' figure from the 2014 interview.[165][168] Some publications considerTetris thebest-selling video game of all time due to these figures,[167] thoughBBC disputes this claim due to differences between the versions, including on mobile platforms.[166] The most commercially successful version is the Game Boy version,[169] which at 35 million copies is among the best-selling video games of all time.[154][170] By 1996, the original had sold nearly 40 million copies.[171]
Accolades
Tetris has garnered accolades and awards since its initial commercial release. The Spectrum HoloByte version won threeSoftware Publishers Association Excellence in Software awards in 1989, including Best Entertainment Program and the Critic's Choice Award for consumers.[45]Macworld inductedTetris into the 1988Macworld Game Hall of Fame in the Best Strategy Game category.Macworld praised "the addictive quality" and said its "simplicity is bewitching",[172] andCompute! gaveTetris the 1989 Choice Award for Arcade Game, describing it as "by far, the most addictive game ever".[173]Entertainment Weekly named the NES version the eighth-greatest game available for sale in 1991, saying: "Thanks to Nintendo's endless promotion,Tetris has become one of the most popular video games."[174]
Due to Rogers and Nintendo's belief in its potential for mass appeal,Tetris was the pack-in game and the primary game promoted for the Game Boy in the United States. The resulting public anticipation ledTetris to become the Game Boy's main draw,[79][213][214] with many, including non-gamers, buying the Game Boy specifically to playTetris. This release simultaneously contributed to both the popularity of theTetris game and the Game Boy,[215][82][216] with the bundle selling out its initial run of a million copies shortly after release.[79] This success established Nintendo's dominant position in thehandheld gaming market, setting a standard that competitors struggled to replicate.[200][217][218] Several writers creditTetris andPokémon Red and Blue (1996) for the Game Boy's longevity, as it would not be discontinued until 2003.[216][79][219]
Tetris is influential in the genre ofpuzzle video games.[199][220] Commentators have consideredTetris an early example of acasual game.[h]Wired deemedTetris unique for its time, given its appeal to players regardless of gender and age,[222] and1Up.com creditsTetris for establishing a market for puzzle video games with universal appeal.[200] Various common elements of puzzle games, such as managing pieces over a fixed screen, originated fromTetris,[199] and multiple clones have been created to replicateTetris's popularity.[225] Video games influenced byTetris include Nintendo'sDr. Mario (1990), Sega'sColumns (1990),Compile'sPuyo Puyo (1991),Taito'sPuzzle Bobble (1994), andCapcom'sSuper Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (1996).[i]
Cultural impact
Jonas Neubauer (pictured in 2010) won the inaugural Classic Tetris World Championship.
Tetris's cultural impact and recognition is widespread, being represented in a vast array of video game platforms, among other media such as architecture, art, and merchandise.[227][19][87]Tetris has been frequently referenced in pop culture, such as inThe Simpsons,The Big Bang Theory,[87]Family Guy,Futurama,Office Space,[228]Muppet Babies, andMonty Python.[229] The game has also earned multiple Guinness records, such as the record for "largest architectural video game display", granted to a game ofTetris hosted on the side of the 29-storyCira Center in April 2014.[230] "Korobeiniki", a Russian folk song, has become widely associated withTetris following its inclusion in the Game Boy version.[149] A 1992Eurodance cover of "Korobeiniki" by Doctor Spin peaked at number six on the UK singles charts.[19][231] The "Tetris effect" refers to the phenomena of perceiving certain patterns in dreams and mental images following engagement in a repetitive activity such as playingTetris.[232][233] The term was coined by Jeffrey Goldsmith in a 1994 article forWired,[234] in which he comparedTetris to an "electronic drug".[235]
Tetris is part of the competitive gaming scene, especially around theNES version.[242] CompetitorJonas Neubauer and his victory in the inauguralClassic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) in 2010 were the subjects ofEcstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters,[243] which helped popularized competitive gameplay ofTetris.[221] Competitors at the CTWC, typically adolescents, have used the CTWC to demonstrate advancements in the gameplay of the NES version. For example, gameplay techniques such as"hypertapping" and "rolling" have been used to help competitors to maximize their scores beyond level 29, which was previously deemed impossible to complete due to its speed.[244][245]Willis Gibson "beat" Tetris by playing NESTetrisuntil it crashed in a 40-minute livestream in January 2024, receiving significant media coverage for his achievement.[246][247]
TheTetris game has frequently been featured in academic research, including inpsychology,computer science, andgame studies.[3] By 2014, John K. Lindstedt andWayne D. Gray, cognitive scientists of theRensselaer Polytechnic Institute, had traced 133 scholarly papers across a variety of academic fields that utilizedTetris in their research.[248] Soviet clinical psychologistVladimir Pokhilko was the first to useTetris in clinical experiments, conducting themc. 1985 at the Moscow Medical Center.[232][3] Prior to studying them, Pokhilko observed that distributed copies ofTetris to his colleagues impaired medical research due to their constant gameplay. Although he initially destroyed these copies, after new copies were reintroduced to his facility, Pokhilko usedTetris in psychological tests of his patients.[249]
In psychology, starting with the research of American psychologistRichard J. Haier in 1992,[250][251][252]Tetris has been frequently used inneuroimaging studies testing how gameplay affects the human brain.[253][248] For example, thenear-transfer effects ofTetris onmental rotation is frequently researched, though research methods have varied widely and results have been contradictory.[254] Furthermore,Tetris has been studied as a potential form of psychological intervention, particularly regardingpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[253] To date, playingTetris as a valid form of imagery treatment for symptoms of PTSD is in an experimental stage and in need of further research. Nonetheless, several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies have demonstrated some evidence supporting its effectiveness in reducing intrusive memories, especially when combined with other interventions.[255][256][257]
In computer science, theTetris game has been the subject of research papers analyzing how the tetrominoes affect gameplay.[258] Most analyze a traditional game ofTetris and do not account for features such as lookahead.[259] In 1992, John Brzustowski argued in hismaster's thesis for theUniversity of Waterloo that it is impossible to play a traditional game ofTetris indefinitely,[260][261] a conclusion affirmed by Heidi Burgiel of theUniversity of Minnesota in 1997, who attributed the inevitable end to the game's Z-shaped tetrominoes and calculated a hard cap of seventy thousand tetrominoes.[262][263] Partly accounting for the lookahead feature, in 2003 a trio ofMIT students proved that the optimal strategy for playing a game ofTetris isNP-complete, meaning it is difficult to be solved by an algorithm within a reasonable time due to thegame's complexity. This is true even if the player knew the complete sequence of incoming pieces.[264][265][266]
^The standard spelling in mathematics istetrominoes, whilethe Tetris Company's trademarked spelling istetriminoes.[2] This article uses the standard spelling for consistency.
^The Tetris Company celebratesTetris's anniversary based on its apparent creation date on June 6, 1984, though various sources, including copyright records, indicate that the original version was completed in 1985.[18]
^An October 2020 press release announced that Blue Planet Software was renamed to Tetris.[112] To date, Henk is officially the president of the Tetris Company, while Maya is the president and CEO of Tetris, Inc.[113]
^"『ぷよぷよテトリス』ダウンロードコンテンツ配信開始！" [Puyo Puyo Tetris Downloadable Content Now Available!].Sega (in Japanese). February 6, 2014. Archived fromthe original on February 14, 2014. RetrievedJanuary 31, 2025.
Plank, Dana (July 25, 2022). "Tetris". In Perron, Bernard; Boudreau, Kelly; Wolf, Mark J.P.; Arsenault, Dominic (eds.).Fifty Key Video Games (First ed.). New York:Routledge. pp. 268–274.doi:10.4324/9781003199205.ISBN978-1-003-19920-5.
