Tetrix is a high-speed neon reimagining of the legendary falling-block puzzle game originally conceived by Soviet computer scientist Alexey Pajitnov in 1984 on an Electronika 60 computer at the Soviet Academy of Sciences in Moscow. Pajitnov's game — inspired by the classic pentomino puzzle toy — challenged players to rotate and stack seven distinct tetromino shapes to form complete horizontal lines. The original spread across the Soviet Union via floppy disk, reached Western markets through a series of complex licensing deals in the late 1980s, and became one of the best-selling video games of all time across arcade cabinets, home computers, and handheld devices. The Nintendo Game Boy version (1989) alone sold over 35 million copies. Classic Arcade's Tetrix captures that same addictive loop with a modern synthwave visual style, smooth 60fps animation, and a progressive difficulty curve that ramps up with every ten lines cleared.
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Left / Right Arrow | Move tetromino horizontally |
| Up Arrow | Rotate tetromino clockwise |
| Z | Rotate tetromino counter-clockwise |
| Down Arrow | Soft drop (accelerate descent) |
| Spacebar | Hard drop (instant placement) |
| P | Pause / resume |
| Swipe Left/Right | Move (mobile) |
| Swipe Up | Rotate (mobile) |
| Swipe Down | Soft drop (mobile) |
| Tap | Rotate (mobile) |
Points are awarded for every line cleared and every cell the tetromino falls during a soft or hard drop. Clearing multiple lines simultaneously multiplies your reward dramatically: a single line scores 100 points, a double scores 300, a triple scores 500, and a four-line clear — called a Tetrix — earns 800 points. All scores are then multiplied by your current level number, so a Tetrix clear on Level 10 is worth 8,000 points. The game's speed increases every 10 lines, raising the stakes continuously. Your personal best score is saved locally in your browser across sessions.
Keep your stack flat and always leave a column open on one side for the I-bar. The Tetrix (four-line clear) is worth far more than four individual single-line clears, so patience at higher levels pays off enormously.
Q: What is a "Tetrix" exactly?
A Tetrix is the game's term for clearing four horizontal lines simultaneously using a straight I-bar tetromino. It produces the highest single-move score bonus in the game and is the cornerstone of advanced strategy.
Q: Does the game ever end?
Yes — the game ends when the stack of tetrominoes reaches the top of the play field and a new piece cannot spawn. There is no maximum level; the game accelerates indefinitely until the field fills up.
Q: Are my high scores saved?
Yes. Your best score is saved in your browser's localStorage so it persists between sessions, even after closing the tab. It remains until you clear your browser data.
Fan-made tribute · Not affiliated with or endorsed by any original game publisher