Published on 24 Dec 2025

After writing so many guidebooks for Tetris, I may now offer my ideas on the game’s problems and solutions.

I want to offer my assistance in working with The Tetris Company (TTC) and other Tetris video game companies to revitalize the game and take it to new heights, beyond its golden era in the 1980s to early 2000s.

I hope to see hundreds of people streaming Tetris simultaneously on Twitch. Likewise, I hope a new flagship official Tetris game emerges, selling tens of millions of copies to revitalize this classic game’s popularity.

A) On Why I Think Tetris’s Popularity is Declining

In my years of playing Tetris, I have come to an inevitable conclusion: Tetris is declining.

Tetris is paradoxical; on one hand, it is one of the most played video puzzle games of all time. On the other hand, it is a game that is gradually losing momentum, experiencing a slow and painful decline.

Do you remember, maybe about five years ago, when games like Puyo Puyo Tetris 1 and Tetris 99 were in vogue? If you go to Twitch to see the number of followers, both have close to a hundred thousand followers — that is ample!

However, consider more recent official Tetris games, such as Tetris Forever, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, and Tetris: Grandmaster 4 (TGM 4). In that case, a vexing and gloomy trend has emerged. TGM 4, since its inception in April 2025, has only a terrifyingly low 478 followers as of this book’s writing (accurate as of Oct 2025). Additionally, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 has only about 7700 followers, compared to the original Puyo Puyo Tetris game’s nearly 70,000.

Although Tetris had a movie on Apple TV last year, I have observed a downward trend that may portend a possible, slow, eventual demise of this game. Why is Tetris on a downward trajectory?

Here is my intuitive grasp of why this is the case, and some solutions to fix the issue:

The Problems

1) A Deep Chasm Between Casuals and Non-Casuals

When I first began playing Tetris about six years ago, I recall seeing Wumbo, Amemiya, and PokeDialga play and stream Tetris on both YouTube and Twitch.

What was my first, candid impression of their gameplay? There was a sense of awe and astonishment. However, there was also considerable confusion.

Just what were they doing? Just what methods were they using? And just what unfathomable decision-making was involved in their complex gameplay?

It was only far later that I undertook the study of Tetris seriously, by learning from many online guides. Only then did I fully grasp what methods they used. For instance, I remembered my very first game versus PokeDialga. He used a strange zigzag-like pattern over column 3, which I later discovered was ST stacking.

However, even after going back, I would still watch the games of top players, such as Furea or Kazu. Even two years into Tetris, I still did not fully grasp what they were doing, as there was little explanation for it.

The result is that many casual players and novices likely just got overwhelmed. They dabble in Tetris briefly, only to be overwhelmed by its complexity, and never get into the game again.

Casual players simply have few means to access the undecipherable methods of top Tetris players.

2) The Inaccessibility and Lack of Unity of Tetris Guides

Six years ago, when I was a complete neophyte in Tetris, the only guides available in the game were scattered throughout the internet. There were the Hard Drop Wiki guides — a collection of guides that I regard as lacking standardization and consistency, as many methods were simply documented for their own sake without any quality control. Many other random Japanese and Korean guides faced the same issues.

The result is that many Tetris players attempt to synthesize hundreds of pages of poorly curated guides without a complete big picture. The result is absolute confusion, as some guides may recommend a distinct strategy. In contrast, others counter this by asserting that their approach is more optimal.

Thus, many novice players are forced to experiment through slow, laborious trial and error, hoping to quickly find the most streamlined methods to apply and become decent at Tetris. This process can get so demanding and unrewarding that many players eventually give up. They gaze at top-level players, bewildered by their skill, but never knowing how to reach those coveted levels.

3) A Mismatch Between Tetris Coaches and Newbies

Although there are many Tetris coaches around, many are tailored to teaching at the elite levels of the game. Without naming any in particular, some are too casual, teaching Tetris strictly at the beginner level without depth. Then, some are too advanced, offering their teachings only to more advanced players. The result is that there are not too many coaches who are accessible enough to the entire skill range.

Therefore, beginner players are unable to advance effectively and quickly enough. As expected, many of them lose faith and ultimately quit Tetris.

4) A Lack of Consolidated Tetris Tutorials and Quizzes

There are many Tetris tutorials and quizzes online. However, many of them suffer from a mix of several issues.

First, while the two.wide puzzles were splendid, the problem with them is that the average Tetris player gets only 1 or 2 correct. Therefore, it becomes tailored mainly to the elites among the elites.

Second, there are many other puzzle-like guides available, such as Japanese PC quizzes and various other types. However, they are often hosted on websites with very obscure names and addresses, lacking proper consolidation. The result is that they are less reachable by the masses, who fervently wish to improve.

Therefore, there is a lack of proper tutorial websites that cater to the masses, offering a sufficient spectrum of skills ranging from beginner to expert, that are likewise consolidated and accessible.

There are no consolidated quiz-like curricula to help guide newcomers to a higher skill level and become long-term players.

5) Gaudiness and Competition

Why do games like Starcraft 2 or Marvel Rivals get so much more traction compared to Tetris, when Tetris is supposedly timeless and classic?

I suspect it is a matter of flashiness. Nowadays, the newer generation, being highly TikTok-tified, prefers superficial pleasures and visuals that most immediately capture their short attention spans. The games above are far more aesthetically pleasing than Tetris, which makes them more likely to engage and retain players for a longer period. Perhaps, younger players nowadays have a penchant for all things glamorous, which makes them less attracted to Tetris.

However, Chess has never been an aesthetically pleasing game, unlike Tetris Effect: Connected. So, what is the problem? I present the next point.

6) Platform Accessibility

Do you know why Tetris is not as streamed as games like Chess on Twitch? I may have a partial answer as to why: it is accessibility.

To stream Chess, all you need is a browser with the Chess website. No capture card is necessary, and no high-end computer is required. You do not even need a second monitor, which is essential for streaming Tetris clients from Xbox, PS4, or the Switch. And to make matters more unifying, most players just play the same version of Chess. This is unlike Tetris, which has dozens and dozens of variations. Additionally, there are separate platforms for some of the same Tetris games, which may not support cross-platform multiplayer.

Tetris becomes scattered and less unified, making it less convenient for matching people.

B) What to Do About It

Here are potential solutions to address the problems above, and hopefully revitalize some parts of Tetris again:

1) A Unifying Tetris Guide Series

This is what I have been trying to do: consolidate most of the practical Tetris knowledge into a Tetris guidebook series that spans the beginner, intermediate, and advanced player segments.

Doing so will hopefully reinvigorate Tetris by rendering Tetris knowledge accessible and democratized, rather than being gatekept by a select few.

2) The Power of Social Networks

Ever heard of the familiar proverbial saying, “My enemy’s enemy is my friend?” The same can be said for “my friend’s friend is my friend.” Never underestimate the power of social networks in propagating the popularity and mass appeal of Tetris. I can say this with authority because one of my sub-specializations in graduate school was applying catastrophe and chaos theory to study social networks.

Currently, I feel Tetris has become increasingly tribalized and cloistered — elite players are staying more within their niche communities, which is promoted vigorously through Tetris competitions. However, this leaves out the more casual Tetris players.

I believe that the Tetris Company can do more by appealing to these beginner Tetris players by networking them together through an official portal.

This leads to the next point:

3) Appealing More to the Casuals

To have a large group of top-tier elite Tetris players, you must have a large base of casual players, who might one day gain enough interest to ascend to the upper echelons of Tetris mastery.

And I think Tetris 99 does a phenomenal job of this, particularly with its more casual and relaxing arena-style games, which purposely do not have a ranked system.

Why not expand upon this by creating a sequel to Tetris 99, now that the Nintendo Switch 2 is available, by increasing the number of players in a single match?

Likewise, why not do what Tetris Effect did before the expansion, which has now made it relatively niche and appeals mainly to elite players? The original game did a great job of rewarding gameplay for its own sake, rather than maximizing APM, which can be a welcome feature for casual players.

Having individuals who are hybrid, part-casual, and part-hardcore to teach Tetris can also fill a specific niche, helping to overcome the elitism that can be overpowering in certain Tetris groups. This can draw more casuals into the game and retain them.

Maybe Tetris can even have an RPG variation that appeals to casual players. Once the appeal of the RPG dimension dwindles, individuals who are more drawn to its strategic depth can then develop into full-fledged devotees of the game.

Regardless, the underlying premise is simple: the Tetris community is built like a pyramid. Without a sturdy base, the tip would not rise.

4) Encouraging People to Stream

Not enough people are streaming Tetris, and one thing that future Tetris video game companies can do is encourage this.

Do you know of the game, Cult of the Lamb? That game encourages people to link their Twitch accounts, rewarding them for streaming online. The same can be done for future Tetris games (or even existing ones via patches) as well.

Streaming brings people together and serves as a positive and constructive form of word-of-mouth that may help revitalize the Tetris brand.

Another factor that can encourage this is to foster more cross-platform accessibility, allowing people on various platforms to play multiplayer and stream together.

5) Cross-Game Collaborations

I think that Puyo Puyo Tetris did a phenomenal job of tying two different games together and capitalizing on the strengths and popularity of each other to cross-promote them.

I am not aware of any other games where this can be done. Still, one possibility might be another timeless game, such as Lumines.

I do not expect something so radical, such as fusing Chess with Tetris. However, the idea exists and could work, as both Chess and Tetris are spatially demanding games that draw on similar cognitive faculties. A future hybrid game could have a swap mode between Chess/Lumines and Tetris, just as it was done for Puyo Puyo and Tetris.

6) Expanding Official Guideline Tetris

As I wrote in the conclusion chapters of my second and third Tetris books, I have appealed to the Tetris company to extend Tetris’ complexity, as it was done in TETR.IO.

Future official guideline Tetris games may incorporate all-spin back-to-back bonuses, all-color clears, 180-degree rotation setups, and much more. It is hoped that by increasing Tetris’ skill ceiling, the game can appeal far more to cerebral individuals who are likewise enamored of Chess. This will keep more players in the long term.

However, this should not be overdone, as the appeal of Tetris lies in its simplicity, which can be learned quickly, yet it has enough difficulty to master. The game should not be overly complex beyond a certain point.

7) Making Tetris Part of the Core Cultural Consciousness

I have never been a fan of Pepsi or Coca-Cola. Both are detrimental to one’s health.

But why is it that people buy them ad nauseam? It is because they are already part of humanity’s cultural consciousness and because we tend to associate them with necessity.

For Tetris to be elevated, it needs to be more than a part of the cultural consciousness — it needs to be integrated into the human psyche, such that it becomes an inherent part of our lives.

Maybe Tetris needs a lot more advertising. How do advertisements work? They work through associations, for instance, by linking Coke with “coolness” or the lifestyles of specific social classes. They achieve this by influencing people at a subliminal level, until the Coke brand becomes deeply embedded in our subconscious. This can be done for Tetris, too.

8) A New Official Tetris Tutorial-Like or Philosophy Game

I propose that the Tetris Company create a dedicated, tutorial-like game with the primary purpose of teaching people how to play Tetris.

This can consolidate all Tetris knowledge, along with puzzles and a series of steps and rewards, to guide people on how to play Tetris at various levels. The game can also be integrated with philosophy and spirituality. I have written extensively about the parallels between Tetris and philosophy (check out my free book on this website: The Tao of Tetris, Book 0). Such a game can use Tetris as a metaphor to impart wisdom to players.

By doing so, you get an official curriculum that can help novices progress in Tetris, keep their interest for a long time, and guide them to the upper echelons of the “Tetris pyramid,” as mentioned earlier.

Therefore, while clause three from earlier builds the base, this clause can simultaneously create both the base and the tip.

The Future of Tetris and the Tetris Singularity

I cannot foresee how Tetris will evolve in the future. However, I feel things are gloomy, considering that fewer and fewer people are playing and streaming Tetris.

If the Tetris Company or any future Tetris video game companies read this, feel free to contact me. After investing so much effort into developing Tetris guides, I do not want Tetris to decline to such a state. Therefore, I am open to collaboration to revitalize this game. More specifically, I can offer insights that connect Tetris with eastern philosophy and spirituality, since my graduate thesis is on existentialism and ego-developmental theory.

Tetris is still highly popular now. However, it is essential to act before it is too late.

Years ago, I joked about the “Tetris Singularity” on my Galactoid Tetris WordPress website. It is a theoretical knowledge asymptote that, once reached, will entail no further knowledge to be researched or discovered in Tetris.

Sadly, with the completion of Book 4, after nearly 1,600 pages of derivations across all four books, I conclude that, based on the current official Tetris guidelines, this is likely the case.

Tetris is an excellent game because it strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and complexity. It takes minutes to learn it, years to master, and a lifetime to play like a child. However, with a hard ceiling, as realized in the Tetris Singularity, it may compel many players to eventually quit once they master the game, with no further room for growth.

Incorporating new all-spin bonuses and other mechanisms, such as the following, could raise the skill ceiling even further:

1. Letting all-spins sustain back-to-backs as a baseline.
2. Potentially, allowing all-spins to be as powerful as T-spins in only custom modes may be overpowered, yet refreshing.
3. Allowing specific, customizable modes, where only a few spin types (such as only L-spins or S-spins) are as powerful as T-spins. This keeps matters more balanced.
4. Using expanded rotation systems beyond SRS and incorporating 180-degree rotations.
5. Using new systems of garbage with variable numbers of holes in garbage rows.

Although TETR.IO has implemented some of these features, it is an unofficial Tetris game. New official guideline Tetris games can incorporate such features.

Hence, I implore the Tetris company to reach out to me to discuss how Tetris can further evolve to elevate the Tetris Singularity, thereby retaining more players in the long run.

Regardless, my role in Tetris is almost done. I wish future Tetris players who pick up this book series to continue evolving and pushing the limits of Tetris. Most importantly, enjoy the game and keep stacking!

C) A Detailed List of Possible Future Tetris Game Suggestions

After completing this Tetris guidebook, I have a few personal suggestions for the Tetris Company regarding possible game features. Note that none of these have been tested and may not be the best ideas or be agreed upon by widespread consensus. However, they are worth considering:

1. Misdrop Reversal Feature: Introduce a misdrop reversal function that players can bind to to revert misdrops. This increases the skill ceiling and renders game wins and losses less prone to random chance.
2. Center 4-Wide Balance: There are many ways that non-official Tetris games like TETR.IO and Jstris have used to address the overpoweredness of center 4-wide. The Tetris Company may consider the methods they have used so far. One way is to delete all blocks above a specific row, such as row 24.
3. All-spins Bonuses: This can be considered; however, making all kinds of spins (S, Z, L, J, I) to be granted the same damage as T-spins is too overpowered. I did some testing, and they may overwhelm the opponent with many consecutive back-to-back spins. Thus, I suggest something more modest: consider adding back-to-back bonus to all spins or only half the damage output of T-spins. This makes them as efficient as a Tetris. Doing so may encourage the creation of new hybrid setups that could alter gameplay significantly and add a greater strategic game depth.
4. Add Color Clears: Let color clears (where all colored blocks on a field are cleared) grant some bonus. This will slightly increase Tetris’ skill level.
5. Adding IRS and IHS options to future Tetris games: Since Tetris Effect: Connected, this game has added the option to turn IRS and IHS on or off. This is highly desirable as it leads to more customization. Turning them on makes the game more responsive as rotates and holds are not eaten up when pressed during the initial spawn piece delay. This lets players become more accurate and faster despite keeping the standard DAS and ARR values.
6. Increasing the Responsiveness of Tetris: Entirely reduce or remove the spawn piece delays. Tetris 99 is also currently quite sluggish, with many missed inputs. Entry delay leads to many issues when IHS and IRS are turned off — they lead to missed hold and rotate inputs, which leads to misdrops. Even if there is an option to turn both on, my experience is that it leads to occasional extra key presses. For instance, my rotate keys can register twice when I press it once (and I’ve tested it to be not a key chatter issue). One solution is to remove entry delay entirely while keeping line clear delay and soft drop penalties for their strategic value. The result will be a smoother and misdrop-reduced game.

Whatever the decision, it’s optimal for these considerations to be reached through proper consultation, beta-testing, and consensus from the public Tetris community. This is because of the possibility of unintended and irreparable imbalances and the formation of new overpowered meta-strategies, just like center 4-wide.

Suggestion for a New Tetris 99-style Arena Game

Perhaps, on a personal note, I wish the creators of Tetris would make more casual Tetris games like Tetris 99. This is because most Tetris players are casual, from my observations and experience. Few play at a top level. Therefore, casual Tetris games are more marketable because of high demand. Admittedly, I’m a half-casual and half-hardcore player.

Maybe even a new modern Tetris game that features arena-like battle royales with many players would do. It could range from 10 to up to a few hundred players.

I also ask to create a challenge for seasoned Tetris players like me by having an option for garbage to be messier. Tetris 99’s clean garbage style offers no challenge to downstack or play more strategically. This could be done in the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2’s update of Tetris 99, or possibly, a Tetris 99 2.

For instance, garbage can be messy, which increases the skill level of people handling it. Perhaps it can be an arena-style game with 25 players, but with three phases, at first with clean, but later with semi-dirty, and finally, to completely dirty garbage. The game can also be more challenging with no garbage delay (Tetris 99’s first phase has a long garbage reception delay).

D) Parting Words

My role as a Tetris player has reached its conclusion. While I occasionally play and stream Tetris for casual enjoyment, my focus will shift toward other endeavors. Perhaps you may find me delving into the realm of Tetris philosophy. I plan to write Tetris novels exploring the profound depths of this captivating game.

I am open to collaboration with the Tetris Company or other video game companies that intend to work on future Tetris games, guides, or products. Please message me on my Twitter or Twitch accounts.