The YouTuber and Tetris expert Blue Scuti is the first person to have completed the NES version of Tetris from 1989. However, the end of the game is not defined by a credits roll but by the so-called “True Killscreen”.
What awaits one at the end of Tetris? The end of Tetris is not a classic ending:
- Actually, Tetris is programmed to be played indefinitely.
- With each level, the speed at which the blocks fall increases.
- From level 29, the speed is so fast that it is impossible for casual gamers to place the blocks correctly. Thus, this level was long considered the end of the game.
- Over the years, many Tetris veterans have developed techniques to arrange the blocks even faster. This made it possible to place the blocks correctly even after level 29.
- Since the speed does not increase from this level on, it is only a matter of concentration to reach higher levels.
Blue Scuti managed to play so many levels that the game froze. This is the “True Killscreen,” which defines the end of Tetris. So far, only an AI has managed to trigger the freeze at level 237. The Killscreen is therefore not always triggered at the same level.
Many analysts, such as HydrantDude, have calculated when the earliest possible crash could occur. In fact, a single block can cause the game to freeze as early as level 155.
You can watch the important moment on his YouTube channel:
The colors of the Tetris blocks sometimes caused problems
How did Blue Scuti’s game unfold? The 13-year-old is the first person to reach level 157 and thus provoke the “True Killscreen”. After his victory, he begins to hyperventilate and says that he can no longer feel his fingers.
After 30 minutes, the teenager began to get nervous. Just one mistake would be enough to ruin the whole run. At times, he couldn’t even feel his fingers anymore. One level made it particularly difficult for the virtuoso to set the record.
The blocks in level 146 are dark and similar in color. On his screen, the blocks looked very similar to Blue Scuti, which is why he referred to this level as the greatest challenge.
Can this record be beaten? It remains to be seen whether a player will ever manage to beat level 157 without triggering the “True Killscreen.” Should the level actually be the end of the game, speedrunners might try to beat Blue Scuti’s time.
Alternatively, it might be possible that the hunt for the highest high score will begin at level 157. Either way, the 13-year-old can be particularly proud of himself for being the first person in the world to reach the end of Tetris.
Tetris fans can watch the backstory of the arcade classic on Apple TV+:
The dark story behind Tetris is getting a movie – I can hardly believe what happened
