Tetris is one of the most iconic and addictive video games of all time. Since its release in 1984, the game has entertained millions of players worldwide and is one of the best-selling games ever. Here are 10 fascinating facts about Tetris!
1. Tetris was invented in 1984 by a Russian scientist
Tetris was developed by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet programmer who worked on artificial intelligence software at the Soviet Academy of Sciences. He designed the game purely as an experiment and had no idea at the time how popular it would become.
2. The name Tetris comes from ‘tetromino’ and ‘tennis’
The name Tetris is a combination of ‘tetromino’, the geometric shapes consisting of four blocks, and ‘tennis’, Pajitnov’s favorite sport.
3. Tetris was first played on a Soviet computer
The very first version of Tetris ran on an Elektronika 60, a Soviet computer without a graphical interface. The blocks were represented by text symbols because the computer lacked advanced image processing capabilities.
4. Tetris was distributed without permission
A colleague of Pajitnov copied the game and distributed it without his knowledge. Within weeks, Tetris was being played throughout Moscow, and not much later in the West as well, without Pajitnov holding any rights to it.
5. Nintendo made Tetris world-famous
Tetris became a global hit in 1989 when it was released as a pack-in game with Nintendo’s Game Boy. Its simple, addictive gameplay was perfect for handheld gaming and helped make the Game Boy enormously popular.
6. Tetris has its own effect on the brain
Many players experience the Tetris effect, where after long play sessions, they continue to see blocks falling and mentally rotate them. This occurs because the game deeply engages the visual and spatial processing areas of the brain.
7. There is a maximum score in Tetris
In the original NES version of Tetris, 999,999 points is the highest possible score. Some versions crash after level 255 because they reach programming limits.
8. Tetris is one of the best-selling games ever
With over 520 million copies sold (including digital downloads), Tetris ranks among the best-selling games of all time, alongside titles like Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto V.
9. The Tetris theme music is based on a Russian folk song
The famous Tetris tune is called “Korobeiniki,” a 19th-century Russian folk song about a peddler and a girl. It became iconic when it was incorporated into the Game Boy version of Tetris.
10. Tetris is used in psychological research
Researchers have discovered that playing Tetris can help with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and other cognitive therapies. It helps suppress unwanted memories and stimulates visual processing in the brain.
11. A movie has been made about Tetris
In 2023, Apple TV+ released the film “Tetris”, which tells the bizarre and thrilling story behind the rights to the game. The film follows Henk Rogers, a Dutch game developer who fought a complex battle with the Soviet Union in the ’80s to secure the worldwide licensing rights for Tetris. Featuring espionage, KGB influence, and business intrigue, the film offers a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the most iconic games ever.
