Tetris
Tetris is a tile-matching puzzle video game created in 1984 by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov while working at the Dorodnitsyn Computing Centre in Moscow. Players rotate and arrange seven distinct falling shapes, called tetrominoes, to form complete horizontal lines, which then clear from the playfield; the game steadily speeds up and ends when the stack of blocks reaches the top.
Its elegant, endlessly escalating design made it one of the most influential and best-selling video games of all time, with hundreds of millions of copies sold across nearly every platform ever made. Tetris became a global phenomenon after Nintendo bundled it with the Game Boy in 1989, helping the handheld reach a mass audience far beyond traditional players, and decades of legal battles over its rights only added to its legend.
To play it today, official modern versions such as Tetris Effect: Connected and the free mobile Tetris app keep the formula alive with fresh visuals and modes.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Tetris, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
| Alternative | Price | Steam Deck | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tetris (mobile) | Free + in-app purchases | Not on Steam | iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet |
| Tetris Effect: Connected | € 39,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 | € 19,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Tricky Towers Indie | € 14,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, PlayStation |
| Tetris 99 | Free + in-app purchases | Not on Steam | Switch |
Tetris (mobile)
Free + in-app purchasesThe official free-to-play Tetris app for phones and tablets.
Tetris (mobile) runs on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. Not available on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Tetris Effect: Connected
€ 39,99A breathtaking modern version with music and visual effects.
Tetris Effect: Connected runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
€ 19,99A polished versus package that mixes classic Tetris rules with Puyo Puyo, plus a full adventure mode and online play.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
Tricky Towers Indie
€ 14,99A physics-based indie block-stacking party puzzler.
Tricky Towers runs on PC, PlayStation. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Xbox, Switch.
Tetris 99
Free + in-app purchasesA 99-player Tetris battle royale, free on Switch with a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Tetris 99 runs on Switch. Not available on PC, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox.
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