Why do we love Tetris so much?
If you ask gamers what they like most about a game, the answer to most of them will be "graphics." But in an age where visual quality is so important, why is it still so common to see people in love with Tetris (which was created in 1984 and still follows the same original traits)?
Scientists have studied the case and come to some very interesting conclusions. In 1994, Jeffrey Goldsmith had said that Tetris creates visual patterns that have the same effect as drugs on the human brain, actually causing addiction - not chemical but psychological.
Alexey Pajitnov, the game's creator, refutes this hypothesis. For him, the title works more like a "song that never goes out of his head". This is because Tetris works by rhythmic audio and video standards, catching a lot of players' attention. That's why it would be so hard to stop having fun with the game, especially in color versions.
What do scientists say today?
Psychologist Tom Stafford wrote about the topic in his column on the BBC website. For him, the great merit of Tetris is that it has no end. All the time new challenges and tasks are being shown to players who need quick thinking to be able to win. But when is victory really achieved?
The answer is subjective, as the game has no definite end. Whenever players are close to achieving their goals, new missions are shown and there are even more challenges. This generates the so-called Zeigarnik effect: “Unfinished tasks are placed upon completed” and challenge us again.
Stafford makes a simpler analogy: "Playing Tetris is like scratching an itchy area." Relief from the mission accomplished may come, but as soon as another task is completed, the one that has not been fully completed will “haunt” people's minds again. “Playing Tetris and scratching! Just get started! ”.
Source: BBC
