Tetris isn’t unbeatable, as a 13-year-old boy has just beat the game with a score of 999999, making it to Level 157. Willis Gibson is the first person in Tetris history to reach a point where the game becomes unplayable, prompting a kill screen.
Level 29 was previously thought to be the highest level players could advance to, when the speed of the blocks became almost impossible to keep up with — unless you’re Gibson, who beat the game just days before Christmas in 2023, uploading a play-by-play video to YouTube under the pseudonym ‘Blue Scuti’.
Tetris also has a competitive scene, with world championships bringing the best players together. Having ranked third in the Classic Tetris World Championship last October, the teenager hopes to win this year’s edition of the world championship.
“It’s never been done by a human before,” remarked Vince Clemente, president of the Classic Tetris World Championship, referring to Gibson’s feat of beating Tetris. “It’s basically something that everyone thought was impossible until a couple of years ago.”
The world’s fascination with the game has even turned it into a movie on Apple+ starring Taron Egerton (Kingsman, Rocketman), a McDonald’s Tetris Gameboy, and other novelty items, with its popularity only increasing over the years.
Gibson’s achievement challenges the limits of Tetris and inspires other players to beat the game in creative ways, such as his single-row clear, as retro games make a resurgence in this digital modern age.
Trinity is a geek who enjoys watching anime, superhero and Sci-Fi movies and TV shows. She enjoys gaming (however has terrible gacha luck) and creates cool homebrew campaigns in her free time. She’s always up for a new adventure — with a cosy jacket and a good book in hand.
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