Tetris — Falling Block Puzzle Game

Score

Lines

Level

Game Stats

Score:0

Lines:0

Level:1

Controls

Move Left:← or A

Move Right:→ or D

Soft Drop:↓ or S

Rotate:↑ or Space

Pause:P

Scoring

Single Line:100 × Level

Double Lines:200 × Level

Triple Lines:300 × Level

Tetris (4 lines):400 × Level + 300

About Tetris

Tetris drops a sequence of seven differently shaped blocks into a rectangular well. You rotate and position each one as it falls, and whenever a horizontal line is completely filled it clears and everything above drops down.

The game never ends in victory. Pieces arrive faster as your score rises, so every game is ultimately a question of how long you can keep the stack under control.

How to play

1Move the falling piece left and right with the arrow keys, and rotate it to change its orientation.
2Press down to speed up the descent when you already know where the piece belongs.
3Fill an entire horizontal row to clear it and earn points. Clearing several rows at once scores considerably more.
4The game ends when the stack reaches the top of the well and a new piece has nowhere to go.

Building a stack you can manage

Keep the surface flat. A level stack accepts almost any piece, whereas a jagged one only fits a few shapes and forces bad placements.
Avoid creating covered gaps. A single hole beneath a placed piece blocks that row until you clear everything above it, and holes compound quickly.
Leave one column open for the long straight piece if you are chasing four-line clears, but fill it as soon as the stack starts climbing.
Watch the preview. Knowing the next piece changes where the current one should go far more often than beginners expect.
When the stack gets high, stop optimising for big clears and take single rows. Survival is worth more than score once you are near the top.

Frequently asked questions

How many piece shapes are there in Tetris?

Seven, each made of four squares: I, O, T, S, Z, J, and L. Every piece you receive is one of these seven, rotated into one of its orientations.

What is the fastest way to score in Tetris?

Clearing multiple lines with a single piece. Four rows cleared at once scores far more than four rows cleared one at a time, which is why players leave a column open for the long straight piece.

Why does Tetris speed up?

The drop rate increases as you clear more lines, so the game continually reduces your thinking time. This is what makes it endless rather than winnable.

How do I stop losing so quickly?

Keep the stack flat and avoid burying empty squares. Most short games come from a few covered holes early on that make every later row impossible to complete.