Tetris - New Ways to Challenge Yourself and Test Your Skills
We came up with a list of fun ways to enjoy the world's favorite puzzle game, from competing against friends head-to-head to creating your own challenges.
After years of effort, you finally mastered Tetris. First, congratulations, but perhaps now you can’t help but ask, now what? Well for some players, it can be hard to figure out where to go next after reaching the fabled Tetris comfort zone.
If you can clear lines with your eyes closed, we have a few suggestions that will help you continue to challenge yourself while playing Tetris.
PvP Matches
There are a variety of Tetris games on the market that include PvP (player versus player). Among others, these include Tetris Friends and Tetris Ultimate. PvP can be a great way to improve your skill, as you’ll get paired up with other Tetris players in a heated head-to-head Tetris battle.
If you own a game like Tetris Ultimate, for example, there are a wide variety of PvP matches available to you including Battle and Power-Up Battle. In Battle, you can take on your opponents in a standard Tetris match. This is a great way to introduce yourself to PvP in Tetris Ultimate. Once you feel comfortable in Tetris Battle, you can try out Power-Up Battle.
In Power-Up Battle, you have to be the last one standing after you and your opponents use a variety of power-ups to shake up the game. For example, there’s Let It Rain which sends waves of garbage on your opponents and Carousel, a power-up that makes your opponent’s Well move left and right after each move.
Finally, if you prefer the tactile feel of your keyboard when playing Tetris, there’s a free online game available on PC called Tetris Friends that you’re sure to love. In Tetris Friends, you can battle with up to five other friends in Arena, or take on randomized opponents visiting the site. We can’t think of a better way to show off your Tetris prowess than PvP.
Try Something New
Photo Credit: © CoolGames
Tetris has grown exponentially over the years, and can be played in all sorts of ways. If you find the traditional game of Tetris to be too easy, you may want to try out a new mode or variant. While many Tetris players can clear lines at speeds that make your eyes water, they usually have a preferred style of play.
Keep in mind that these components were put in place for the sheer purpose of challenging Tetris lovers, and are a great way to spice things up. No matter which mode or variant you choose, it’s cool to experiment with the variety of Tetris games available. If you want to try out Tetris on-the-go, Tetris Blitz is the perfect way to play a daily round of Tetris while you’re out and about as each match just takes two minutes.
Looking for something else to try? There’s also Tetris Twist, a new online Tetris variant that lets you make your way through different cities by completing various puzzle challenges. What’s great about Tetris Twist is that you can play the game using your mouse, which is a nice option for beginner players. However, you can also use your keyboard if you prefer playing that way.
Create Your Own Challenge
Finally, no one knows your Tetris skill better than you, so why not create your own Tetris challenge? If you tend to rely on T-Spin techniques, for example, you can create a challenge where T-Spins are forbidden. Once you move out of your comfort zone, your brain will work to come up with a solution.
It may take a few rounds, but eventually you’ll figure a workaround to the T-Spin restriction. This may seem like an impossible task at first, but it could be a rewarding way to improve your Tetris game. Alternatively, you could set different rules, like having to Hard Drop every other Tetrimino without rotating.
This can lead to some frenzied games, especially if you get a heap of S and Z-Tetriminos. Even if you’re unable to clear lines, you can transform the challenge into a competition of sorts where you and another player have to stay alive as long as possible. This can be done by sitting next to your friends or coordinating a match online.
After playing just about every Tetris game in existence, it’s nice to have a challenge that forces you to think outside the box (or Tetris Matrix, in this case). These challenges don’t have to come from inside the game. If you’re creative enough, you’ll be able to imagine even more ways to put new spins on Tetris, even if it means attempting to play blindfolded while a friend calls out each new Tetrimino. Definitely tough.
Now you have a handful of ways to challenge yourself and build up your Tetris skills! Have fun, and maybe someday we’ll go head-to-head online! Want to put some of these ideas to the test? Click here to play Tetris.
