Source: tetrisaxis.nintendo.com

Tetris is by far my favorite game to play. I could spend hours a day rotating the colorful blocks in hopes of eliminating as many horizontal rows as possible. I have been playing this game for years, and I have always wondered about the scientific and psychological impacts of games such as Tetris.

According to one article titled The Neuroscience of Tetris, the game serves as good exercise for the brain by improving overall brain efficiency. One study used an MRI to scan the brains of its twenty-six subjects, who were adolescent females between the ages of 12 and 15 years old. During the study, one group of subjects played Tetris for 30 minutes a day, while others did not play Tetris at all. Three months later, an MRI was used to scan the brains of its subjects after this consistent practice (or lack thereof). Those who played Tetris regularly over the course of the three months seemed to have thicker gray matter, or tissue in the brain that is linked to memory and brain efficiency.

It seems that playing Tetris regularly should improve problem-solving and the cognitive abilities of one’s brain, as playing the game consistently appears to result in a thicker cortex. However, there are some slight problems with this study. First of all, the study focused solely on adolescent females. The reason for this is that adolescents are undergoing a significant amount of brain development during this period of their lives. Also, females were chosen in an attempt to minimize previous experience with playing video games. However, in order to ensure that this study is reliable as possible, it would help to have a larger sample size containing subjects of a wider variety of characteristics (different genders, different age groups, etc.).

It is clear that Tetris seems to greatly improve efficiency, and it clearly increases brain activity. However, why exactly is it so addictive to the countless players of the game? One theory suggests that people simply enjoy organizing and “tidying up” the blocks. Many Tetris players gain satisfaction from successful problem-solving, rotating the falling blocks in order to make the rows disappear. Naturally, the human mind is satisfied when tasks are accomplished and goals are achieved.

A Plymouth University study even suggests that playing Tetris can reduce unhealthy cravings, even if the game is only played for a relatively short period of time. Examples of these cravings include (but are not limited too) alcohol, cigarettes, or even unhealthy foods. The psychologists involved in carrying out this study suggest that the “visual stimulation” that Tetris provides serves as a distraction from the cravings, which typically only last for a few minutes. When players are involved in Tetris, they are focused on the visual and cognitive aspects of the game as opposed to visualizing whatever craving they initially had. This persists until the craving disappears altogether.

It is clear that Tetris is more than merely a simple game. While Tetris provides entertainment, it also has a remarkable power to influence the brain and its activity.