History of Tetris in Timeline

Tetris, created by Alexey Pajitnov in 1985, is a puzzle video game where players manipulate falling tetrominoes to create complete horizontal lines. Clearing lines earns points. The game has seen numerous versions across various platforms (PC, consoles, mobile), with some introducing new mechanics that have become staples of the franchise.

June 1984: Pajitnov Inspired by Pentomino Puzzles

In June 1984, Alexey Pajitnov was inspired to convert pentomino tiling puzzles to the computer after he bought a pentomino puzzle set from a store and played with it in his office.

November 1985: Tetris Reportedly Wins Second Place

In November 1985, Tetris reportedly won second place in a Zelenodolsk computer game competition.

1985: First Version of Tetris Completed

Around 1985, Pajitnov completed the first version of Tetris, which had no scoring system or levels, but was captivating to his peers.

1985: First Scientific recognition of Tetris' addictive nature

Around 1985, the psychological and addictive effects of Tetris were first scientifically recognized by Soviet clinical psychologist Vladimir Pokhilko.

1985: Tetris Created

In 1985, Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer, created Tetris, a puzzle video game where players move tetrominoes to fill horizontal lines, which then disappear, earning the player points.

June 1986: Robert Stein Sees Commercial Potential

In June 1986, Robert Stein of Andromeda Software saw the commercial potential of Tetris during a visit to Hungary.

1986: Tetris Gains Widespread Popularity in Moscow

By 1986, nearly everyone with an IBM computer in Moscow and similar cities had played Tetris.

1987: Stein Signs Agreements for Tetris Rights

In 1987, Robert Stein signed two agreements: he sold the European rights to Mirrorsoft and the American rights to Spectrum HoloByte, despite not yet having a contract with the Soviet Union.

January 27, 1988: Mirrorsoft Releases Tetris in Europe

On January 27, 1988, Mirrorsoft released its version of Tetris in Europe for the IBM PC.

January 29, 1988: Spectrum HoloByte Releases Tetris in America

On January 29, 1988, Spectrum HoloByte released its version of Tetris in America.

February 24, 1988: Agreement Reached with Elorg

On February 24, 1988, Robert Stein came to an agreement with Elorg for a ten-year worldwide Tetris license for all current and future computer systems.

March 1988: Tetris Wins Awards at Software Publishers Association

In March 1988, Tetris won several awards at the Software Publishers Association's Excellence in Software Awards ceremony including Best Entertainment Software, Best Original Game, Best Strategy Program, and Best Consumer Software.

November 1988: Rogers Contacts Stein for Handheld Rights

In November 1988, Henk Rogers contacted Robert Stein after a failed negotiation with Atari, seeking the handheld rights to Tetris.

1988: Commercial Success and Licensing

In 1988, Mirrorsoft and Spectrum HoloByte commercially released Tetris to commercial success and sold licenses to other companies, including Henk Rogers' Bullet-Proof Software.

1988: Spectrum HoloByte and Mirrorsoft Start Licensing Tetris

In 1988, Spectrum HoloByte and Mirrorsoft started licensing Tetris to other companies, including Bullet-Proof Software.

February 1989: Rogers Negotiates Rights in the Soviet Union

In February 1989, Henk Rogers traveled to the Soviet Union and negotiated the rights to Tetris for the Game Boy, with support from Alexey Pajitnov.

March 1989: Nintendo Sends Cease and Desist to Atari Games

In March 1989, Nintendo sent a cease and desist to Atari Games concerning their production of Tetris for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

Original NES System by Nintendo (Renewed)

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June 15, 1989: Legal Battle Begins Between Nintendo and Atari Games

On June 15, 1989, Nintendo and Atari Games began a legal battle in the courts of San Francisco over the rights to Tetris.

June 21, 1989: Nintendo Wins Preliminary Injunction Against Atari Games

On June 21, 1989, Judge Fern M. Smith ruled in Nintendo's favor, granting them a preliminary injunction against Atari Games, leading to the withdrawal of Atari Games's NES version from sale.

Original NES System by Nintendo (Renewed)

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1989: Game Boy and NES Versions Released

In 1989, Tetris versions were released for the Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) after Henk Rogers negotiated with Elektronorgtechnica to license Tetris to Nintendo.

Original NES System by Nintendo (Renewed)

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1990: Release of Dr. Mario and Columns

In 1990, Dr. Mario by Nintendo and Columns by Sega were released as puzzle games influenced by Tetris.

1991: Release of Puyo Puyo

In 1991, Compile's Puyo Puyo was released, influenced by Tetris.

1992: Tetris is statistically doomed to end

In 1992, John Brzustowski at the University of British Columbia wrote a thesis stating that Tetris is statistically doomed to end because a sequence of S and Z tetrominoes will eventually force the player to leave holes on the board.

1992: Eurodance cover of Korobeiniki peaks in UK charts

In 1992, a Eurodance cover of "Korobeiniki" by Doctor Spin peaked at number six in the UK single charts. The song is associated with Tetris following its inclusion in the Game Boy version.

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1992: Tetris used as cognitive assessment

Starting with the research of American psychologist Richard J. Haier in 1992, Tetris has been frequently used as a form of cognitive assessment and neuroimaging.

1994: Release of Puzzle Bobble

In 1994, Taito's Puzzle Bobble was released, influenced by Tetris.

1994: Tetris compared to an electronic drug

In a 1994 article for Wired, Jeffrey Goldsmith coined the term "Tetris effect" and compared Tetris to an "electronic drug".

1996: Release of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

In 1996, Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo was released, influenced by Tetris.

1996: The Tetris Company Formed

In 1996, after the rights reverted to Alexey Pajitnov, he and Henk Rogers formed the Tetris Company to manage licensing.

1999: Tetris inducted into Computer Gaming World Hall of Fame

In 1999, Tetris was inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of Computer Gaming World publication.

2000: Tetris inducted into GameSpy Hall of Fame

In 2000, Tetris was inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of GameSpy publication.

2001: Tetris proven to be NP-complete

In 2001, a group of MIT researchers proved that for the "offline" version of Tetris certain objectives are NP-complete.

2003: Tetris inducted into GameSpot Hall of Fame

In 2003, Tetris was inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of GameSpot publication.

2006: Tetris DS Scoring System

Since Tetris DS (2006), Tetris's scoring system has remained mostly consistent, with some exceptions, where points gained during gameplay increase with the descent speed.

2007: Tetris inducted into IGN Hall of Fame and Game Canon

In 2007, Tetris was inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of IGN publication, and was listed as part of the game canon at the 2007 Game Developers Conference.

2010: Inaugural Classic Tetris World Championship

In 2010, the inaugural Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) was held, with Jonas Neubauer winning.

2011: Release of Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters

In 2011, the documentary Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters was released, popularizing competitive gameplay of Tetris.

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November 2012: Tetris acquired by the Museum of Modern Art

In November 2012, the Museum of Modern Art acquired Tetris, along with thirteen other video games, for display.

April 2014: Tetris earns Guinness record for largest architectural video game display

In April 2014, Tetris was granted the Guinness record for "largest architectural video game display", hosted on the side of the 29-story Cira Center.

2014: Announcement of Threshold Entertainment film adaptation

In 2014, it was announced that Threshold Entertainment was working with the Tetris Company to develop a film adaptation, envisioned as an epic sci-fi adventure and the first part of a trilogy.

2015: Tetris inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame

In 2015, Tetris was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame by The Strong National Museum of Play.

March 31, 2023: Premiere of Tetris film on Apple TV+

On March 31, 2023, the film Tetris, about the Tetris legal battles, starring Taron Egerton as Henk Rogers, premiered on Apple TV+.

2023: Film Dramatization Released

In 2023, a film dramatization of the development of Tetris was released.

January 2024: Willis Gibson "beats" Tetris

In January 2024, Willis Gibson "beat" Tetris by playing NES Tetris until it crashed in a 40-minute livestream, receiving significant media coverage for his achievement.