Tetris
Play Tetris free on RetroPlayNow: rotate and drop the seven classic tetrominoes, clear lines and survive the rising speed. Stack high and earn Retro Coins.
How it works
Play, earn points and Retro Coins: the shared currency across every RetroPlayNow game. Unlock badges and climb the leaderboard! Your progress is saved automatically on this device.
Tetris needs no introduction: since Alexey Pajitnov built it in 1984, the falling-blocks puzzle has appeared on virtually every computer, console and phone ever made. Its hypnotic loop is one of the most perfect game designs in history — simple to learn, impossibly deep to master.
The seven tetrominoes — I, O, T, S, Z, J and L — fall one at a time onto a 10-column well. You rotate them and slide them left or right, then let them drop. Complete a horizontal line and it disappears, scoring points and clearing space; leave the stack messy and the well fills up to the top.
Our RetroPlayNow version is the beloved canvas rendition by Jake Gordon, adapted for the arcade with a clean retro look and keyboard controls: arrows to move and rotate, and the up arrow to drop. The speed increases with every 10 lines you clear, just like the original.
Every game is submitted to the platform leaderboard when you top out, and the platform converts 100 points into 1 Retro Coin — so every clean tetris (four lines at once) puts more coins in your wallet.
How to play Tetris
- Control the pieces. Use the left and right arrows to move the falling piece, the up arrow to rotate it and the down arrow to speed up the fall.
- Complete lines. Fill a full horizontal row to clear it. Lines disappear and every cleared line scores points.
- Plan your stack. Keep the surface of your stack as flat as possible. Deep holes are hard to fill and end games quickly.
- Survive the speed-up. The game gets faster every 10 lines. At high speed, use quick drops and decide rotations before the piece lands.
- Earn Retro Coins. When the well fills up, your score is submitted automatically. Every 100 points converts into 1 Retro Coin.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Tetris?
Rotate and move the seven falling tetrominoes to complete horizontal lines. Each line you clear disappears and scores points; the game ends when the well fills to the top.
What are the controls for Tetris?
Left and right arrows move the piece, the up arrow rotates it, and the down arrow drops it faster. The game is keyboard-controlled on desktop.
What is a tetris in Tetris?
A 'tetris' is clearing four lines at once using the long I piece. It is the highest-value clear in the game and boosts your score dramatically.
How does the speed increase?
The falling speed increases every 10 lines you clear, recreating the original arcade pacing. Faster pieces mean you must plan further ahead.
How do I earn Retro Coins in Tetris?
Your final score is submitted automatically when the game ends and the platform converts 100 points into 1 Retro Coin.
