7 of the Best Tetris Games in History

Tetris is a game with a complicated history. A Russian software engineer, Alexey Pajitnov, originally developed Tetris in the USSR. He did not legally own the rights to the game because of Soviet (communist) politics, and numerous companies started selling copies of Tetris for which they did not have proper authority to distribute. That was before ELORG stepped in to sort out the mess by officially granting full console rights to Nintendo in 1989.

Today, Tetris Holding owns worldwide rights to the game and grants developers permission and guidelines to design new Tetris games. So, there are many different Tetris game versions (more than 200) that players can play across various gaming platforms. These are some of the best Tetris games in history.

Tetris Effect: Connected

Many players rate Tetris Effect: Connected as the best modern iteration of Tetris to play today. This game transformed Tetris into an immersive virtual reality experience with a magnificent, dynamic soundtrack and dazzling graphical effects. It incorporates more than 20 Tetris game mode variations, including a unique level-based Journey campaign for players to play through. That campaign makes playing Tetris an amazing journey.

The Connected expansion adds multiplayer modes to Tetris Effect. Players can play cooperatively or against each other for some classic Tetris fun. With Tetris Effect’s additional multiplayer features, few other Tetris games can match this one for gameplay variety.

Game Boy Tetris

The Game Boy Tetris iteration was a killer game bundled with Nintendo’s handheld console. This was one of the best Tetris games in history because it was perfect for the Game Boy’s limited hardware and portable gaming on the go. The Type A Game Boy Tetris music remains one of the most iconic audio pieces in gaming history. It was pure Tetris with universal appeal, which also showcased the Game Boy’s Game Link Cable for head-to-head competition.

If you’re wondering how to play the 1989 Game Boy Tetris without the original handheld console, you can do so via Nintendo Switch Online. To do so, download the Game Boy Nintendo Classics app on the Switch. Then you can select to play the original Tetris from there.

NES Tetris

The 1989 NES Tetris has remained the foundational blueprint for competitive play. This is one of the best Tetris games because of its pure design and responsive controls. It is renowned for its unforgiving mechanics without any hold queues for saving pieces. NES Tetris is a more colorful alternative to the Game Boy version that’s still played today as part of the Classic Tetris World Championship.

You can play NES Tetris with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Add the Nintendo Entertainment System app to your Switch, from which you can select to play Tetris from there. Playing NES Tetris on the Switch will also make it a portable handheld game, which is a bonus.

Tetris 99

Tetris 99 transformed Tetris into a battle royale extravaganza. This is one of the best Tetris games in history for how it throws you into a lobby against 98 other players. Then you can play to beat 98 other players at standard marathon Tetris, with garbage blocks thrown in to target opponents. The edge-of-the-seat multiplayer intensity of Tetris 99 makes it one of the most enthralling Tetris games.

Tetris DS

Tetris DS is one of the best Tetris games for how it mixes the classic block-stacking gameplay with Nintendo franchise themes, such as Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. This is a Tetris Nintendo DS (and 3DS) game that includes Mario and Zelda backdrops, which add nostalgic Nintendo appeal. It also introduced fresh gameplay variations like Mission, Touch, Catch, and Puzzle Modes for players to play beyond standard Tetris.

Puyo Puyo Tetris

SEGA’s Puyo Puyo Tetris merged two of the most exciting puzzle games for a great crossover title. It incorporates ingenious crossover mechanics by pairing the classic line-building action of Tetris with Puyo Puyo’s chain-building color matching. It includes a few creative game modes, but the crown jewel of Puyo Puyo Tetris is its Swap Mode that cycles between Puyo Puyo and Tetris at regular intervals.

Tetris Party

Tetris Party is another of the best Tetris games in history because of its multiplayer appeal. This Wii iteration of Tetris turbocharged the game with its unique Wii Balance Board controls. It retained the core gameplay of Tetris mixed with more modern features like holding/switching pieces and quick drops. Although Tetris traditionalists might scoff at modern features, there’s no doubting that TP shined for multiplayer fun with its double-sized playfield.

Those best Tetris games above show why Tetris is a gaming phenomenon like no other. They represent the pinnacle of the franchise’s evolution from 1989 to the present. More modern Tetris iterations have added new features and more graphical gloss, but the fundamental brilliance of the game remains untouched. There will be more Tetris games because the magic of the perfect line never fades.