Tetris is one of the best puzzle games and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most ported video game. Over the year’s this game has garnered a small but loyal competitive scene with tournament circuits spanning back decades.
In this article, we’re presenting you the best Tetris players in the world.
Credit: Alexey Pajitnov
When we think of gaming, we imagine games with the best graphics, stories, gameplay, mechanics, etc. However, some games transcend all of that and operate based on simplicity.
One of these games is considered as one of the early godfathers of gaming, and that game is, of course, one of the best puzzle games ever created – Tetris. It’s one of the best puzzle games and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most ported video game.
In Tetris, players complete lines by moving different-shaped pieces (Tetrominoes) that fall into the playing surface. The full finished lines vanish, awarding the player points, and the player can now fill the empty areas. The game concludes when the uncleared lines reach the top of the playing field. The longer the player can postpone this conclusion, the better their score will be.
Some have made it into their careers by streaming Tetris, and some have become the best Tetris players in the world by competing in Tetris tournaments.
Credit: CTWC
Although he doesn’t officially rank as high as the other players in this list, Willis Gibson, also known as Blue Scuti, is undoubtedly one of the best Tetris players in the world. He achieved one of the most outstanding achievements in gaming history; at age 13, Willis shocked the world when he became the first person in 35 years to beat the game. He accomplished what many thought was impossible by reaching level 157 and exploiting a bug in the game’s programming.
This achievement earned him acclaim within the Tetris community and coverage from major gaming news sites.
Credit: CTWC
In 2018 and 2019, Joseph Saelee won the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) twice. He is renowned for his proficiency in a novel approach known as “hyper tapping,” which entails using tremors in his muscles to hit the controller’s buttons swiftly. With this method, Joseph can clear lines incredibly quickly.
Although retired, he still inspires many of the best Tetris players in the world.
Credit: CTWC
Justin Yu, well known by his alias “Fractal161,” is a rising star and dominant force in the Classic Tetris arena. Yu is not just an accomplished Tetris player but also a student at the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This mix of scholastic achievement and game prowess distinguishes him in the highly competitive Tetris scene. In January 2024, he became the second person (after Blue Scuti) to achieve the incredible feat of “beating” Tetris. Notably, Yu accomplished this accomplishment at the earliest feasible level (155), demonstrating his outstanding talent and in-depth mastery of the game principles.
Credit: CTWC
Eric Tolt, often known as “EricICX” online, is a young Canadian prodigy who dominated the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) in 2022.
Unlike other opponents who discovered Tetris at an early age, Eric did not get serious about the game until late 2019. However, his hard work and natural talent swiftly drove him to the top. He is renowned for his creative playing style, notably his mastery of the “rolling” method. This complex maneuver includes rotating your fingers on the controller while applying pressure to the D-pad, resulting in exceptionally rapid and precise piece placements. This mastery allowed him to win the CTWC in 2022, where he also earned a record-breaking high score.
Credit: CTWC
Michael Artiaga, often known as “Dog” online, is a two-time Classic Tetris World Champion.
When Dog first played Tetris on the Nintendo Game Boy, he was fascinated by the game’s quick speed and skill requirements. After watching Joseph Saelee win the 2018 CTWC at ten, Dog and his elder brother Andrew (“PixelAndy”) were encouraged to take their Tetris playing to the next level. This led to him winning the CTWC in 2020 at 13, becoming the youngest player ever to win the CTWC. In 2021, he successfully defended his title for his second CTWC win in a row, solidifying his place as the best Tetris player in the world.
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Not to discount blue scuti’s achevment, but AlexT (who isn’t mentioned on here for some reason) has gone much further than him and has been grinding to get to rebirth. What Blue did was amazing and a breakthrough of tetris, but Alex is a much better player
AlexT should have been on the list, and his omission looks even worse after he won the 2024 world championship. Have you seen Scuti’s 18 million point game where he gets 300+ lines into level 239? That was a level 29 start, so it doesn’t count for a world record, but he played just as well as AlexT in his 16m point game. Scuti isn’t as successful in competition, so I would rank AlexT above Scuti.
JDMFX was a great player, but the Tetris world has moved past hypertapping. Unless JDMFX comes back and learns how to roll, he is not relevant to a discussion of the current greatest players in the world.