The time-honored game of Tetris might be a virtual throwback to the 1980s, but it sure looks good on an iPhone or iPad. And there are plenty of options for playing the game on your mobile device, ranging from an official app to a handful of third-party offerings. Let’s take a closer look at your best options for playing Tetris on iOS or iPadOS.
The official Tetris app
A great option for enjoying Tetris on your device is the official Tetris app. It’s a free download and optimized for both the iPhone and iPad. Here, players can enjoy the traditional game of Tetris they know and love in Marathon mode, or they can take on specific challenges in the app’s time-limited Quick Play mode.
There’s also the opportunity to take on others in a player-versus-player mode, or to join a team for more collaborative play. And a “Tetris Royale” mode offers a 100-player battle royale where players fight to be the last person standing!
The official Tetris app!
As you play Tetris more and more, you earn XP, ascend through the app’s level system, and unlock additional games and modes. Overall, the official Tetris app is a great, multi-mode app that offers players lots to keep them coming back. And best of all, it’s a free download optimized for both the iPhone and iPad – what more could you want?
Block Puzzle
Block Puzzle is a Tetris-inspired puzzle game that makes a few changes to the tried-and-tested Tetris formula. In Block Puzzle, you’re presented with a blank canvas and asked to place different shapes on a grid. While you can’t rotate shapes to help them fit, you can place them to one side for later use, allowing a new selection of shapes to appear in your load-out.
Block Puzzle for iOS.
The aim of the game in Block Puzzle is to fill your grid as cleanly as possible. When your shapes complete a full horizontal or vertical line, that line will disappear, making space for more blocks!
As you manage to clear these lines from your grid, you’ll amass points that allow you to purchase keys and unlock chests. The aim of the game here is to build as high a score as possible through careful shape placements. Overall, Block Puzzle is a fun game that is as addictive as it is simple!
Blockudoku
For an interesting sudoku-spin, try taking Blockudoku for a ride. It’s a fun, free game that mixes the principles of sudoku with Tetris shape-placing. The aim in Blockudoku is to complete – and eliminate – lines and 3-by-3 blocks in the app’s 9-by-9 grid.
It’s a really nice take on Tetris, opening the game up to new avenues and possibilities by allowing players to focus on smaller segments of the game-board. As you’d expect, completing a line or block sees those blue-colored squares disappear from the grid while adding points to your total. The aim in Blockudoku is to accrue the highest-possible score before you run out of options.
Blockudoku.
Alongside a standard game mode, the app offers daily challenges and time-limited events for players to engage with. There are also awards that you can earn, although an online player-versus-player mode is unfortunately missing.
Honorable mentions
It’s worth noting that the App Store has some interesting Tetris-inspired games, too. Tetris Beat (on Apple Arcade) is definitely worth a mention! Block Puzzle 3D puts a three-dimensional spin on Tetris. And Fancy Bricks – although not the most polished release – recreates a retro handheld on your iPhone.