Tetrisis one of the most popular franchises to ever grace the gaming industry, and yet, the core fundamentals of how Tetris operates have remained the same ever since the Game Boy. The game design of Tetris has remained pretty much flawless after its first few refinements.
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That is to say, finding the “best” versions of Tetris is pretty hard, so for this list,I’ve opted to pick unique Tetris-branded experiences that all offer new gameplay styles, a solid core experience, and a reason to try them out over every other entry on the list.
10Tetrisphere
Breaking the Third Dimension
A very gimmicky game that plays almost nothing like real Tetris, Tetrisphere is only Tetris by name and is a wacky N64 puzzle game where you place tetrominoes on a massive 3D orb, trying to break out shapes that happen to glow. The scoring system in this game is a mystery to me.
It’s frankly a gimmick and not Tetris, which is why it’s this low, but if you’re looking for something vaguely Tetris adjacent that’ll still be a pretty fun time (especially when playing in VS with someone who similarly has no clue what they’re doing), Tetrisphere is a great little side-game.
9Tetris Attack
Not Really Tetris, But It’s Good
Alright, you might see the name “Tetris Attack” and envision a competitive Tetris game, but Tetris Attack in actuality is a Yoshi-themed reskin of Panel De Pon for the Super Nintendo that happens to be called Tetris. It’s a game about swapping blocks and matching colors, instead of clearing lines.
That said, it is incredibly fun, and one of the few versions of Panel De Pon that made it to the US, so I felt it deserved mention. It’s great if you want a similar puzzle game, but it’s not Tetris.Playing it with friends through Switch Onlineis also easy, so that’s awesome.
8Tetris NES/Game Boy
Simple and Clean
Tetris (1984)
As the first iteration of Tetris, you might think the Game Boy and NES versions to be rather simplistic and unimpressive, but they’re still pretty solid versions of the game, especially if you want to get into the speedrunning or high-score scenes.
Fighting on the Tetris-Raft in Loot River Demo
They’re wildly popular to this day, primarily because they still control like a dream, still have great music, and still have the Tetris fundamentals on point. They’re basic, sure, but still worthwhile.
7The New Tetris
Slightly More Nuanced, Still Tetris
The New Tetris, despite its name, is quite similar to the Old Tetris, namely just having a few general gameplay tweaks and additions. I’d say it’s ironically somewhere in between older versions of the game and newer ones, landing at a point in the middle that might just resonate with you.
It’s got proper hold mechanics, but hard dropping feels pretty strange, and there aren’t bags of pieces to ensure you won’t get the same ones repeatedly yet. Overall, if you’re a fan of classic Tetris but want something just a bit fresher, I’d say The New Tetris is a great option.
6Tetris: The Grand Master 2
A Varied, Very Cool Experience
It’s pretty much impossible to get your hands on a real version of Tetris: The Grand Master 2 (but emulating it is easy, at least). If you can manage to play it, you’ll find quite the unique Tetris experience inside. It’s a super straightforward, super arcade-y form of the game.
It’s pretty simple, having the bag system but no holding, and it gives you no leniency. You can’t stall for even a second before the game decides to place a block, and this game is extraordinarily fun in multiplayer and super hectic. It’s a bit overly simplified, but great nonetheless.
5Tetris DS
Fun, Simple, and Has Mario
If you’re looking for an awesome Tetris game that’s got all the features you’d come to expect from modern Tetris, a bunch of really fun and unique side modes, and a ton of cool Nintendo-themed aesthetics (and banger music remixes), then Tetris DS is absolutely for you.
It feels a bit sluggish to control, but that’s genuinely the only complaint I can muster about it. It’s simple Tetris in the main mode, and every side mode has a new gimmick or new idea to offer that’ll keep you entertained for a long time. It’s just a fun, great verison of Tetris, and that’s it.
4Tetris 99
Tetris Battle Royale is Awesome
If you somehow haven’t heard, as a free Nintendo Switch Online exclusive, a battle royale version of Tetris called Tetris 99 was released and is still going strong, having you play pure, unadulterated Tetris against 98 other people, sending garbage to everyone you’re targeting every time you clear a line.
It’s hectic, chaotic, and an absolute ton of fun. It doesn’t have much in the way of side content (aside fromcollecting Nintendo-related themes), but as a freebie and a unique experience, it’s worth checking out and playing way too many rounds trying to get #1.
3Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
The Ultimate Combo Pack
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
Puyo Puyo Tetris is a series(?) that, within two entries, has become pretty well known for beingutterly fun. It’s an ingenious combo of Puyo Puyo and Tetris that melds the two series together while containing great versions of both games, Sonic, and a story mode.
Tetris Effect: Connected Cooperative Mode
We play Tetris Effect: Connected’s co-op mode in a rhythmic rush to complete the level.
You can choose to play sillier modes where you have Puyos and Tetrominoes on the board simultaneously, swap between the two games on the fly mid-match, or play one or the other, with the Tetris player at a slight disadvantage, of course. It’s an incredibly great time, even if it’s not super Tetris-forward.
Free and Quality Web Tetris
While nottechnicallyan official version of Tetris, Tetr.io might as well be. It’s a browser game that is incredibly high-quality, buttery smooth, has online multiplayer, and it’s just a solid version of the game. It’s free and incredibly accessible, which is crazy to me.
Most other browser versions of Tetris I tried a decade ago were awful, but Tetr.io feels like a dedicated and immaculate experience, especially with the Zen mode putting me into a Tetris-induced meditative state where I played for an hour and a half without realizing it. It’s great, and easily recommended.
1Tetris Effect
Trippy, Beautiful, Meditative, and All-Around Great
Tetris Effect
Somehow, one of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had is quite literally just Tetris in one of its simplest incarnations, yet hand-crafted to be a beautiful suite of breathtaking visuals, immaculate sound design, and overall just anincredible version of Tetris packaged into Tetris Effect.
It’s nothing too fancy, gameplay-wise, yet the visual and sound design changing to new, slightly hallucinatory ideas and settings every level brings it to new heights as not just another version of Tetris, but an experience you owe yourself to try. I’d especially recommend doing it in VR, but if you don’t have a headset, the game is still incredible.
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