It's now 40 years since gamers began sliding falling blocks around screens to the iconic melody of a Russian folk song.
Alexei Pashitnov's puzzle game quickly gained popularity and was played around the world, particularly when released on the Game Boy in 1989.
Today, to play this still highly addictive classic of computer game history, you don't need a Game Boy to hand, and the game can be started for free with two clicks on tetris.com.
The first notes of the Tetris melody provide a little nostalgia while you try to improve on your high score. There are ads, but only for Tetris games and none interrupt gameplay.
If you get bored, you can also play other versions of the retro classic such as "Tetris Gems" or "Tetris Mind Bender". Perhaps the best is the pure classic, styled as in the 80s before the advent of graphic cards, when the blocks still needed to be displayed with brackets.
If you want to play on your phone, you'll have to put up with lots of ads. The "Tetris" app in the App Store and Play Store comes from the developer Playstudios and is initially free to download.
Accompanied by a modern version of the Tetris melody, you play your way from level to level, all while getting repeated interruptions for ads.
They can be switched off by paying a few euros/dollars, but even then the app is not particularly privacy-friendly. When starting the app for the first time, it is better to click through the cookie and tracking consent and uncheck all the boxes, including "Legitimate Interest", otherwise your data will be shared all over the world.
Playstudios focuses on the development of casino games in which the financial aspect, especially through in-app purchases, takes centre stage.
Unfortunately, this is not ideal for the development of traditional arcade games such as "Tetris", as is sometimes annoyingly noticeable here. If you click through the app menus, you will find numerous shopping incentives and loyalty programmes.
However, the game itself works well and is fun and is a quick way to stack blocks on the go.
