MegaHouse has turned Tetris into a competitive board game, and it plays almost exactly how you'd hope. The Japanese toymaker revealed Tetris: The Board Game this month, priced at 4,620 yen (roughly 25 quid) and releasing in late April.
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Set up your group for freeUp to four players each get their own grid and a shared pool of Tetriminos. Every turn, everyone selects and drops the same piece from the Play box onto their board. Complete a line and you score a point, with multipliers kicking in for consecutive clears. A Hold card lets you stash a piece for later, and a devious obstruction mechanic lets you dump an awkward Tetrimino onto an opponent's board when you land on a dotted grid space.
It is, essentially, competitive Tetris at your kitchen table, and that simplicity is what makes it appealing. The rules map neatly onto what anyone who has ever played the video game already understands, so there is almost zero teach time.
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Find events near youMegaHouse also announced a Tetris Rubik's Cube (4,950 yen, roughly 27 quid) that tasks you with forming six Tetriminos across five faces of the cube. The straight-four piece, too long to fit a 3x3 face, cleverly appears as the cube's stand instead.
Both products are Japan-exclusive for now, with no confirmed international release. That said, Japanese board game imports have become easier than ever through specialist retailers, so it may not stay out of reach for long. If you have ever dreamed of slapping a Z-piece onto a friend's board at game night, this one is worth tracking.
Sources: Siliconera | Tetris.com
