Story
The classic among the brain games has made it into our game collection. It has been challenging the spatial thinking of young and old for more than 25 years. Bricks of different colours and shapes fall from the top to the bottom of the screen. The player’s task is to stack them, preferably without gaps. When a row is complete, it disappears. When the bricks stack up to the top of the playing field, the game is over.
Controls
Always play this game with the original Microsoft Xbox controller (see Use an Xbox controller).
Feedback
| Positive feedback | Negative feedback |
|---|---|
| The bricks fall down slowly | The bricks fall down faster and the boundaries between the individual bricks become blurred |
Feedback process
The feedback is shown through the progress of the game, which is linked to the brain bar and the progress bar (see Brain HUD).
If the selected factors are in the desired range, the brain bar fills up directly and without delay. If they are not, the brain bar drops until it is empty. When the brain bar is completely full, the player is rewarded with a maximum event.
The progress bar is linked to the brain bar. If the brain bar stays in the positive range for a selected period of time, the progress bar builds up. When the progress bar is full, the player is rewarded with a special event. Similarly, if the brain bar stays in the negative range for a longer time, the progress bar fills up in the negative range until a special event informs the player.
| Positive special event | Negative special event |
|---|---|
| Additional coins are unlocked and can be collected on the way down | The bricks blur and lose their colour, and a warning tone sounds |
Application, combination and typical reactions
This game is suitable for clients from about 10 years. It works as an introduction to the training and as a second building block. The optimal duration is between 5 and 10 minutes, but it can be adapted as needed. Different difficulty levels can be selected to increase the challenge if necessary.
Handling the controller is an additional difficulty for some clients, since cognitive and motor skills have to work together. This also brings advantages: people who struggle with motor restlessness in particular often find it easier to calm down when their hands are busy. For clients who find the controller harder to use, it can lead to more muscle artifacts.
| When in training | Combination with different feedback |
|---|---|
| Start or first half | Music (possible but not necessary) |
Gameplay, shop and upgrades
During the game the player collects coins whenever the feedback is positive. The coins can be used across games to buy new characters, items or worlds.
Coin currency: 100 blue coins = 1 gold coin, 100 gold coins = 1 ruby. See Neuro Player System.
Shop: various backgrounds are available in the shop to customise the game visually.
Progress bar: the progress bar fills up when a row is completely filled with bricks and when extra coins are collected, which is possible as soon as the feedback is positive.
Philosophy and background
Tetris is ideal for training concentration endurance and spatial thinking. The player also learns to remain calm even when the demands increase as the bricks fall faster.