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Is Tetris the greatest game of all time?

  • Of course! Its concept was revolutionary and works just as well today

    Votes: 365 57.8%
  • No way, it was good for its time but there's been better stuff since.

    Votes: 267 42.2%

  • Total voters
    632

Lant_War

Classic Anus Game
The Fallen
Jul 14, 2018
23,580
Tetris is likely the single most popular game of all time. Everyone's heard of it, and considering how at least a version of it is available pretty much available everywhere everyone's probably played it as well.

For a game to, with minor differences, manage to remain mainstream for more than 30 years without going through any complete reboot of the game's mechanics is incredibly impressive. That only speaks for how future-proof this game is, which makes me wonder, do you consider it to be the greatest game of all time?

Personally, I think that it is. There really isn't any other game that I can play for 5 minutes or 2 hours and still have fun decades after the game released.
 

Dogui

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,813
Brazil
The poll assumes Tetris is either the best game ever or not even good for today standards :p

Pretty sure most people think it's a good game but not the greatest ever.
 

sredgrin

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,276
Has it always been "mainstream" for those 30 years? Feels like there have been long stretches where some versions will come out but they'll be met with indifference (hence the license always passing around, because nobody could figure out how to get people to actually spend any money on it until very recently).
 

Renna Hazel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,579
It's not, but I don't like these poll options. Tetris is amazing today but it's not the best game ever.
 

Deleted member 21709

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
23,310
I mean perfect in what sense though? The core design is simple and great, but there are so many different elements of games now that Tetris doesnt even touch and should be taken into account when determining the best game ever

The key is in its simplicity. Games are more than the sum of their parts.
 

shinobi602

Verified
Oct 24, 2017
8,356
"Greatest" is such a broad term that it's impossible to break down. I've gotten far more enjoyment from games since first playing Tetris, but there's no doubt in the brilliance of its design.
 

Quinton

Specialist at TheGamer / Reviewer at RPG Site
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
17,283
Midgar, With Love
I abhor the game. So subjectively speaking, gods no.

Objectively it did a heck of a lot and continues to draw people in today. It isn't the greatest by any stretch but it's clearly very solid.
 

antitrop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,598
There are too many different versions and variations of Tetris to nail it down to a single game, but it makes one of the strongest arguments for greatest game series.
 

Deleted member 21709

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
23,310
Tetris on Gameboy is still my favorite incarnation of Tetris.

I abhor the game. So subjectively speaking, gods no.

Objectively it did a heck of a lot and continues to draw people in today. It isn't the greatest by any stretch but it's clearly very solid.

Why do you abhor Tetris? Was your pet killed by a polyomino?
 

TheXbox

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 29, 2017
6,559
If they made a Tetris that had Tetris Effect, Tetris 99, and some hard as fuck Tetris it would be the GOAT.
 

GamerJM

Member
Nov 8, 2017
15,638
It's probably the most well designed game but not the "greatest". The former isn't as much of a game design accomplishment as something like Mushihimesama Futari, Super Mario Galaxy, Ocarina of Time, Celeste, etc. which are less flawless in their level design but they manage more moving parts so it's more impressive. And I enjoy it less on a pure level than the actual greatest game ever made, Super Smash Bros. Melee.
 

Jonneh

Good Vibes Gaming
Verified
Oct 24, 2017
4,538
UK
We're in the Golden Age of blocks with Tetris 99, Tetris Effect, & Puyo Puyo Tetris. It's absolutely one of my favourite games
 

Clive

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,095
The greatest game ever is the one I enjoyed playing the most. It's not Tetris. Tetris is a brilliant, addictive and revolutionary game though.
 

MrS

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,085
It's up there. Always different, always the same. A timeless game.
 

Eppcetera

Member
Mar 3, 2018
1,911
No. I wouldn't put Tetris in my top 100 games of all time, much less call it the best game ever made. I didn't vote since I don't like either of the poll options. I wouldn't say the game has aged poorly, since its design is timeless, but that doesn't mean I consider Tetris great, either.

Also, as GameFan said, Final Fantasy VII is quite possibly the greatest:

2404917-4520459837-cover.jpg


I think Final Fantasy VII is really good, but I wouldn't say it's the greatest, either.
 

SnakeXs

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,111
No, that would be Kriegspiel. Video game, however, and yeah it's a fair argument to make. Nobody is playing Pong nowadays, y'know.
 

Azurik

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Nov 5, 2017
2,441
Very much so. It's engaging, competitive, frustrating, fun, tense and a lot more. Not many games manage to combine so many emotions under one roof!
 

bionic77

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,894
There is no such thing as THE greatest.

It is definitely one of the greatest though.

And its pretty close to perfect.
 

McNum

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,195
Denmark
It wouldn't be my pick, but if someone argues that Tetris is the greatest game of all time, I'm not going to argue against it either. It's definitely one of the all time greatest, the exact ranking I'm just not sure of.
 

Speely

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
7,998
It's pretty much perfect at what it does, but other games since have done better things.
 

nded

Member
Nov 14, 2017
10,576
Maybe not the greatest, but certainly one of the most perfect video games ever created if that makes sense.
 

Sky Walker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
821
Can't say it's "the best game", I mean you can't compare it to other complicated games like action, platformers, etc.

but definitely it's the definition of "timeless".
 

Pellaidh

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,177
The poll doesn't really make sense. What if I think there were much better games before Tetris? As in, Go is pretty much peak game design as far as I'm concerned.
 

Deleted member 47076

User requested account closure
Banned
Aug 25, 2018
1,048
Even as someone with a Tetris avatar... probably not. However, I think it is pretty much unparalleled it terms of its combination of simplicity and depth of gameplay. It is easy to learn yet hard to master - almost anyone can pick it up and have fun. But look at high level Tetris players and it's insane what they can do.