How to Play Tetris

Tetris is a very popular stacker game that originated in the 80's. If you didn't know how to play, now's a good time as any, read on.

Steps

  1. Image titled Play Tetris Step 1
    1
    Find a Tetris game. Tetris is available on many mediums, like PC, mobile devices, Nintendo Switch, or even the oldschool GBA. A quick search on your search engine or your local store should be able to find one for you.
  2. Image titled Play Tetris Step 2
    2
    Start the game on the lowest level. Tetris games provide a Marathon Mode that lets you pick your level, which will determine how fast the tetrominos fall. The game will increase the level every 10 lines that are cleared to give you a challenge.
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  3. Image titled Play Tetris Step 3
    3
    Move the tetrominos. You can move them left and right, and you can rotate them in both directions. (up is clockwise, and You can also speed up their fall (known as "Soft Drop" used with the down button or s) or you can immediately set it down (known as "Hard Drop" used with the space bar).
  4. Image titled Play Tetris Step 4
    4
    Understand the different tetrominos. There are seven different types of tetriminos: the I, O, L, J, S, Z, and T tetriminos.
  5. Image titled Play Tetris Step 6
    5
    Complete lines to gain points and raise the level. When a line of blocks is created, the entire line disappears, points are rewarded and the stack is pushed down. The more lines completed at once, the more points gained. Completing the maximum number of lines at once, four, is known as a 'Tetris' and can only be pulled off with the I-tetrimino.
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    6
    Check upcoming pieces and plan for them. This will become easier the more you play, don't rush yourself.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    What is the hold button for?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    In some newer Tetris games, you can use the hold button to store a tetromino in the hold slot. Once there is a tetromino in the hold slot, press the hold button again to switch it with the current tetromino.
  • Question
    Is there a way to change a tile by turning it over or sideways to fit an opening?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Sometimes, the up button can be pressed to rotate it. However, this depends on the version of the game.
  • Question
    Where are the control keys on an iPhone?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It changes from app to app, but the one made by EA has 2 control modes. However, the tap controls are inconsistent, and most other games use swipe. Swipe controls are: swipe down to push the block straight to the bottom, tap to rotate, swipe up to store or press the store box, drag down to pull down, and swipe left and right to move left and right.
  • Question
    Can I play Tetris on Windows 7?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, you should be able to get a version that will work on Windows 7.
  • Question
    What are all of the controls that I need to use?
    Dihydrogen
    Dihydrogen
    Community Answer
    You will need rotate left and right, soft drop, left and right, and in some forms of Tetris, hard drop and hold.
  • Question
    What is the goal of the game?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The goal of the game is to get the highest number of points in one possible run. The game might get too hard after a while, but practice makes perfect!
  • Question
    Can I play Tetris on my iPad Pro?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yep! There are 2 free Tetris apps developed by EA. Alternatively, you can play on the Tetris website using the Safari browser.
  • Question
    Can I play Tetris against a computer?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    In Tetris 99, there's a DLC you can buy to play against 98 other computers.
  • Question
    What does the goal mean in Tetris?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The goal that you are referring to displays the remaining amount of lines that must be cleared to progress to the next level (speeding up gameplay).
  • Question
    How does the platform move?
    Lellogut8096
    Lellogut8096
    Community Answer
    The platform doesn't move. It is automatically meant to fill the bottom. As you move the pieces, they will fill up the gaps and you get point and level up. The point of the game is to fill up the platform.

Warnings

  • You may easily become addicted and spend all your time playing Tetris, resulting in your to-do-list being neglected.
    Thanks!
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Things You'll Need

  • A computer
  • A Tetris game
  • or a game on your phone

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 37 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 191,430 times.
62 votes - 68%
Co-authors: 37
Updated: October 15, 2021
Views: 191,430
Categories: Multi Platform Games
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