Tetris

Stack blocks and complete lines

Hold (Shift)
Score
0
Level
1
Lines
0
🧱 Tetris
Press Space or Tap to Start
00:00
Next

PC Controls:

  • ← → : Move left/right
  • ↓ : Soft drop (one row)
  • Space : Hard drop (instant)
  • ↑ : Rotate
  • Shift or C : Hold piece
  • P or ESC : Pause

Mobile Controls:

  • Use touch buttons to control
  • Swipe: Left/right to move, up to rotate, down to hard drop

About Tetris

Tetris is one of the most iconic puzzle games in gaming history. Originally created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1985, it was first developed on an Elektronika 60 computer. The game's name combines the Greek prefix "tetra" (meaning four) and "tennis," Pajitnov's favorite sport. When the Game Boy launched in 1989 bundled with Tetris, it became a worldwide cultural phenomenon. To this day, Tetris remains one of the best-selling games of all time, enjoyed by hundreds of millions of players around the globe.

How It Operates

Tetris is a puzzle game where 7 tetromino shapes (I, O, T, S, Z, J, L) fall from above. Move and rotate blocks to fill horizontal lines completely; completed lines clear and score points. SRS (Super Rotation System) enables rotation near walls, and drop speed increases with each level. The game ends when blocks stack to the top.

Controls

On desktop, use the following keyboard controls:

  • Left/Right Arrow - Move piece left or right
  • Up Arrow / Z key - Rotate piece
  • Down Arrow - Soft drop (faster descent)
  • Spacebar - Hard drop (instant placement)
  • P key / ESC - Pause the game

On mobile devices, use the on-screen touch buttons or swipe gestures. Swipe left/right to move, swipe up to rotate, and swipe down to hard drop.

Strategy Tips

  1. Keep the board flat - Try to maintain an even surface across all columns. A flat board gives you more options for placing incoming pieces and prevents awkward gaps.
  2. Save space for Tetrises - Reserve one column (ideally the far left or right) for the I-piece to clear four lines at once. A Tetris scores 800 points, far more than clearing lines individually.
  3. Use the preview - Always check the next piece display. Planning ahead lets you position the current piece in the best spot for what is coming next.
  4. Avoid stacking too high - Keep your stack low, especially in the center columns. High stacks reduce your reaction time and increase the risk of topping out.
  5. Learn T-spins and combos - Advanced players use T-spin techniques and back-to-back combos for massive bonus points. Mastering these moves can dramatically boost your score.

Advanced Tetris Strategy

The core Tetris strategy is maintaining a well (empty column) on one side for the I-piece (long bar). Keep one edge column empty while stacking the rest flat. When the I-piece arrives, clearing 4 lines at once scores a Tetris — the maximum points.

Keep the surface as flat as possible when stacking. Large height differences create gaps (holes) that are hard to recover from. Learning T-spins lets you rotate T-pieces into tight spaces for higher scoring efficiency. Always check the next piece preview and position the current piece to benefit the upcoming one. As speed increases, use hard drop (spacebar) aggressively for faster placement.

Worth Exploring

Worth Reading