The scoring formula for the majority of Tetris products is built on the idea that more difficult line clears should be awarded more points. Prior to the Tetris Company's standardization in the early 2000s, those colors varied widely from implementation to implementation. Versions of Tetris on the original Game Boy/Game Boy Color and on most dedicated handheld games use black-and-white or grayscale graphics, but most popular versions use a separate color for each distinct shape. Pajitnov's original version for the Electronika 60 computer used green brackets to represent the blocks that make up tetrominoes. The pieces on which the game of Tetris is based around are called 'tetrominoes'. Game pieces All seven tetrominoes using the standard color scheme

The contents of these guidelines establish elements such as the correspondence of buttons and actions, the size of the field of play, and the system of rotation. Since 1996, the Tetris Company has internally defined specifications and guidelines to which publishers must adhere to be granted a license to Tetris. The player can complete only as many lines as possible, before an inevitable loss. : 16 The game never ends with the player's victory. At the end of each game, the player receives a score based on the number of lines that have been completed. If the player cannot make the blocks disappear quickly enough, the field will start to fill when the pieces reach the top of the field and prevent the arrival of additional pieces, the game ends. It is possible to complete up to four lines simultaneously with the use of the I-shaped tetromino this move is called a 'Tetris', and is the basis of the game's title. The player can clear multiple lines at once, which can earn bonus points in some versions. In most versions, the speed of the falling pieces increases with each level, leaving the player with less time to think about the placement. Completing lines grants points, and accumulating a certain number of points or cleared lines moves the player up a level, which increases the number of points granted per completed line. When a line is completed, it disappears, and the blocks placed above fall one rank. : 4 The objective of the game is to use the pieces to create as many complete horizontal lines of blocks as possible. The player can neither slow down the falling pieces nor stop them, but can accelerate them, in most versions. During this descent, the player can move the pieces laterally and rotate them until they touch the bottom of the field or land on a piece that had been placed before it. Tetris is primarily composed of a field of play in which pieces of different geometric forms, called ' tetrominoes', descend from the top of the field. The game also has been the subject of various research studies that have analyzed its theoretical complexity and have shown its effect on the human brain following a session, in particular the Tetris effect. Tetris is rooted within popular culture and its popularity extends beyond the sphere of video games imagery from the game has influenced architecture, music, and cosplay. Tetris is available on over 65 platforms, setting a Guinness world record for the most ported video game.

The Game Boy version is one of the best-selling games of all time, with more than 35 million copies sold. By December 2011, it had sold 202 million copies – approximately 70 million physical units and 132 million paid mobile game downloads – making it one of the best-selling video game franchises. Some versions add variations on the rules, such as three-dimensional displays or a system for reserving pieces.īuilt on simple rules, Tetris established itself as one of the greatest video games ever made. In multiplayer games, players must last longer than their opponents in certain versions, players can inflict penalties on opponents by completing a significant number of lines. The longer the player can delay this outcome, the higher their score will be. The game ends when the uncleared lines reach the top of the playing field. The completed lines disappear and grant the player points, and the player can proceed to fill the vacated spaces. In Tetris, players complete lines by moving differently shaped pieces ( tetrominoes), which descend onto the playing field. After a significant period of publication by Nintendo, the rights reverted to Pajitnov in 1996, who co-founded the Tetris Company with Henk Rogers to manage licensing. It has been published by several companies for multiple platforms, most prominently during a dispute over the appropriation of the rights in the late 1980s. Tetris (Russian: Тетрис ) is a puzzle video game created in 1985 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer.

Original tetris blocks