SINGAPORE – As a seven-year-old child, Hugo Ho struggled while playing the Tetris video game on a vintage Nintendo Game Boy.

Disenchanted and dejected, he decided it was too hard for him and he “never wanted to play it again”.

But things changed 11 years later, in 2020, when Mr Ho – by then an 18-year-old teenager – chanced upon a YouTube video on the game while preparing for his exams amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

With time to spare due to the social distancing restrictions then, and a mind that needed a break, Mr Ho took to the game again, hooked by its expansive gameplay possibilities.

“Thinking about it again, the video also gave such chill, fun and positive vibes in general, totally (opposite) of my (younger self’s) view of Tetris. It is probably another factor that made me attracted to the game,” said the polytechnic student, now 21.

The iconic puzzle game was recently thrust into the spotlight when 13-year-old American teenager Willis Gibson reached a level so advanced in the original Nintendo Entertainment System version that the game froze.

Tetris was developed by a Soviet software engineer and first released in 1985. In the game, players have to complete lines by placing game pieces that descend into the playing field.

The pieces have to be strategically moved to fill gaps in the lines. Completed lines disappear and give players more space in the playing field.

In Singapore, Tetris gaming groups – such as Classic World Tetris Championships Singapore and Singapore Tetris – have provided platforms for people to play the game. These groups not only provide one a chance to learn and play Tetris, but also create opportunities for networking with like-minded individuals. 

With no official numbers available, enthusiasts put their numbers here at about 400, and an estimated 75 per cent of them are teenagers.

Interest group officials have observed an uptick in the number of teens, especially those between 13 and 15 years old, joining the Tetris gaming scene.

These interactions led to the formation of the Singapore Polytechnic Mind Sports Tetris division in 2023, which also holds its own physical and online tournaments.

Some play the game recreationally, but there are those who compete against one another for supremacy.

In most classic Tetris tournaments, players start playing the game at the same time. They are provided with the same pieces in the same sequence, and the player with the highest score wins.

Mr Ho said he plays the game recreationally now, after tasting 17 consecutive defeats in competitions in 2021.

NUS High School student Allen Lee, 15, started playing the game when he was only 10 years old, as he found the game’s simplicity and strategic depth fascinating.

“Tetris is a simple game with complex underlying strategies such as pattern recognition and risk management,” said the 2022 and 2023 Classic Tetris Singapore champion, who is aiming for a hat-trick of titles in 2024.

While a Sky News presenter pooh-poohed American teenager Willis’ Tetris achievement by saying he should “go outside” and “get some fresh air”, enthusiasts whom The Straits Times spoke to said the game provided them with the building blocks for other life skills, such as quick thinking, adaptability and organisational skills.

“I’ve learnt that it’s better to take it slow and be consistent than to be fast and make mistakes on the way,” said 19-year-old Foo Hong Liang.

Singapore Polytechnic Tetris interest group’s vice-president Tan Xin Yu, who has been playing the game since age 16, said: “I am really proud to see the progress we have made over the years.

“We have held physical and online tournaments so far. In the future, we hope to seek support from e-sport organisations to provide us with the funding to expand the Tetris scene in Singapore.”

Other retro games popular with young people today:

Pac-Man

Originally known as Puck Man in Japan, Pac-Man is a maze-action video game that was released as an arcade game in 1980.

The player controls Pac-Man, who has to consume all the dots in a maze while avoiding a group of four ghosts.

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong was developed in Japan and released by Nintendo in 1981 as an arcade game. It has since expanded to other platforms, such as phone apps and gaming consoles.

The player’s job is to rescue fictional character Pauline from a giant gorilla called Donkey Kong by climbing ladders to ascend a construction site.

Mario Bros

Mario Bros was released by Nintendo in 1983.

The original game’s storyline focuses on Italian twins Mario and Luigi, who are plumbers. In their quest to exterminate creatures coming out of the sewers, the brothers gain game points by knocking them over.

It was first released as an arcade game, but later expanded to game consoles.

The franchise has since expanded to the Super Mario series and other gaming genres such as Mario Kart and Mario Tennis.

Street Fighter

Street Fighter was released in 1987.

Designed by Japanese game developers, it debuted in arcades. The later versions of Street Fighter expanded outside the arcade to game consoles, both handheld and otherwise.