Tetris

Inspiration

Remember that magical feeling when you first played Tetris? The falling blocks, the race to clear lines, the satisfaction of a perfect fit. I wanted to bring that timeless joy to Reddit - a place where we talk about games but rarely play them together. This project was born from a simple dream: to let Redditors share that nostalgic Tetris experience right in their favorite communities.

What it does

Classic Tetris gameplay inside Reddit posts
One-tap controls optimized for mobile scrolling
Instant score sharing with your Reddit avatar
Progressive difficulty (just like the Game Boy version)
Community challenges (beat the high score!)

How we built it

I adapted Tetris for Reddit's unique environment:

// Core Game Elements
const TETROMINOES = [
  [[1,1,1,1]], // I-piece (nostalgia trigger!)
  [[1,1],[1,1]], // The beloved O-block
  // ... all 7 classic shapes
];

// Mobile-first control component
const Controls = () => (
  <hstack gap="small">
    <button onPress={moveLeft}>←</button>
    <button onPress={rotatePiece}>↻</button>
    <button onPress={moveRight}>→</button>
    <button onPress={hardDrop}>↓</button>
  </hstack>
);

## Challenges we ran into
1. Reddit's Block Template Limitations
Creating a game within block post templates required:
Shrinking the grid from 10x20 to 10x12 (without losing gameplay feel)
Inventing "fake animations" using color swaps and CSS transitions
Replacing keyboard inputs with oversized touch controls

2. Performance Constraints
No game loop API → Used useInterval polyfill
30fps cap → Optimized re-renders with React.memo

## Accomplishments that we're proud of
We achieved what many thought was impossible:  
- Built a **fully functional Tetris** within Reddit’s Block post template  
- Made 16px squares feel satisfyingly "chunky"  
- Proved games *can* work in environments designed for static content 

## What we learned
Nostalgia is powerful - simple graphics worked better than fancy 3D
Reddit communities crave shared experiences
Constraints breed creativity (who knew 10x12 would feel so right?)

## What's next for Tetris
Subreddit skins: Pixel art themes for different communities
Touchscreen gestures: Swipe controls for advanced players


"Some games never get old. Now they don't have to."