Who Invented Tetris? | One of the biggest Video Game franchises

Gaming

June 4, 2024

Andrew Ogunnaike

Ever wonder who invented Tetris? From humble beginnings to a global phenomenon, Tetris is an iconic game that anyone can pick up and instantly understand the mechanics and play a few rounds.

However, the start of a juggernaut in the gaming industry wasn’t intended to be so. Did you know that Tetris didn’t even start off as a game? Discover this and more facts in our guide on who invented Tetris.

Who Invented Tetris?

Tetris was invented by Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian software engineer. Pajitnov developed Tetris while working at the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1984. It was initially designed to test how powerful their computers were. Having to update frequently with moving graphics and logic, the game was a good stress test for the soviet machines. He had no idea it would become a global gaming phenomenon!

Credit: EA

Why is Tetris Special?

Tetris is simple yet addictive. Despite new versions of the game coming out, and some changes to strategies, the core concept hasn’t changed since 1984. The most popular classic version, the version for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), is still speedrun to this day. In that game, the best Tetris players attempt to live past the game’s intended kill screen, climbing scores higher than the normally displayable limit!

Best ways to play Tetris in 2024

There are a few ways to start getting your Tetris and TSpins in:

Tetris 99: This multiplayer battle royale version Tetris has you competing against other players, playing your game of Tetris and using the completed lines to send payloads to other players to make their game harder until you’re the last one left. Over lockdown, this high-paced version of the game exploded in popularity, putting Tetris back in the mainstream, and popularizing new strategies like TSpins.
Tetris Effect: A great way to unwind, this version focuses on the trance-like state you can achieve playing Tetris, with pulsing music track and neon visuals. Available on Modern systems, and it has 1v1 modes for the competitive.
Tetris (NES): Considered the best version by the die-hard community, this game even has a community patch that prevents kill screens and let you play the original in its best version via “Tetris GYM.”
Online or on Mobile: Tetris can be played in browser on the official website, as well as a free downloadable app on Android and iOS.

Now you know who invented Tetris and how this titan of the industry came to be. Keep stacking those blocks and enjoy the game. Happy gaming!