Mini-Guide: Tetris Blitz

LQ: 8.9

Brain grade: 9.0
Fun score: 8.8

Game Type: Action, Puzzle ESRB Rating: Everyone Platform/Console: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod LWK Recommended Age: Any Thinking Skills Used: Focus, Time Management

Android | iTunes

Tetris Blitz takes classic Tetris and ramps it up a few notches for an experience that is both familiar and new. The player is given a board with some rows already started. Then, as each new piece falls, there are “ghost” options for where and how to place that piece. The player chooses which best fits with their plan. The goal is to get as many rows cleared (for as high a points total) as possible.

The game also offers power ups to use in the game. There are daily challenges, battles, and tournaments. There is a leaderboard where your ranking determines how many coins you get at the end of the week. And there is also a bonus blitz board where you get a free ticket to spin every four hours and the player can win free power ups to use in-game.

Tetris Blitz has in-game purchases available. The ESRB rated it E for Everyone. LW4K stands by this rating.

Tetris Blitz helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Focus

Getting started and then maintaining attention and effort to tasks.

This game is constantly moving. While the player is deciding which ghost to choose, the piece is falling down towards the rows below. This means that if the player isn’t using their focus skills, they might not get to actually choose where the piece goes. They need to initiate the task of choosing a ghost as soon as they pop up. Then they must ignore internal and external distractions and keep shifting their attention between the ghosts, the piece, and the timer. If they do not use all of these focus skills, they will not get a high score, which can lead to them failing challenges or not moving up on the leaderboard.

Time Management

Being efficient and aware of our use of time and effort.

Since Tetris Blitz has both a timer and moving pieces, the player will get to practice their time management skills every time they play. The falling pieces mean they have to practice keeping pace. If they don’t pay attention to how fast a piece is following and choose a ghost before that piece reaches the bottom, then they will not be able to clear lines and earn points. They also have a deadline to meet (which is represented by the timer). They want to reach as many points as possible before time runs out. In things like the daily challenge they even have to clear a specific number of lines to win. If the player isn’t using these skills, they will have trouble earning coins and advancing in the game.