Tetris
Tetris is a tetromino puzzle video game made by
Alexey Pajitnov
. The game launched back in 1985. Since then the game has gained world popularity throughout many decades. Many large events are still being held till this day. CTWC, Guinness world records, and its 40th anniversary have already been held this January. This game is more than nostalgia it’s evolutionary.
Digital to physical
Bringing a digital game to the physical world using Lego bricks was an exciting experience yet also a tedious challenge. Before the development of this Tetris build I knew the seven brick built tetromino pieces could not be eliminated when a horizontal row was aligned. Because of these limitations the rules of the game had to be changed. Thus creating a new game called
Tetris Solid
.
How to play Tetris Solid
Even though this is a new game, majority of the rules are not so different from the original Tetris. The goal is simple. aim for the highest score on the leaderboard. The player must stack as many shapes on the grid while maintaining a solid structure. That means the player has to avoid leaving any gaps between the tetromino shapes on the matrix grid. Encountering a gap will cause the player to finish the game. When the game is finished the player will select 1 of 6 colored round plates to make their mark on the leaderboard before clearing out the grid.
Play features
The game works through six functions.
-
Play Space
-
Tetromino Shapes
-
Leaderboard
-
Matrix Grid
-
Tetromino Bin
-
Reset
Play Space
The
Play Space
is a physical sliding mechanism that decides which shapes the player will select from the tetromino bin.
Next
and
Hold
are the primary functions of this game.
Hold
The
Hold
allows the player to carefully strategize where the selected tetromino shape will land on the matrix grid. This decision will effect the outcome of the game.
Next
The
Next
gives the player an advantage to even out the play field. This allows the player to view an upcoming shape. The player can use this knowledge to either strategize the next move or to second guess the tetromino shape that is currently about to be dropped on the grid.
Tetromino Shapes
There are a total of seven tetromino shapes. I, O, T, J, L, S, and Z. Each tetromino shapes is supported by four ball joints. These ball joints allows the player to rotate the shape to any four desired angles before dropping the shape into either ten vertical slots on the matrix grid.
Leaderboard
The
Leaderboard
is a large board displaying the rankings of all six players. Six colored round plates identifies each player on the board.
Matrix Grid
The
Matrix Grid
is a grid that consists of ten vertical slots and sixteen horizontal rows that connect to the leaderboard. To play the game the tetromino shapes will be dropped down those ten slots.
Tetromino Bin
This bin holds forty-two tetromino shapes. The bin also supports as a
Reset
function when all the shapes are being dropped.
Reset
The
Reset
is a door hinge function is supported by four blue rubber bands. Thus effortlessly supporting the weight of a total of forty-two tetromino shapes. When the game is finished the player will press down the red “ reset “ lever on the left side of the grid that will activate the hinge mechanism. Dropping all shapes back into the tetromino bin.
Alexey Pajitnov
As a nod to
Tetris 40th Anniversary
,
I decided to include an Additional build for this set. This small build is
Alexey Pajitnov‘s Office
. This build can be accessed inside a hidden compartment in the Tetris set.
Help me make this set more than an idea. Let’s make it a reality!