Art Hawk: Tetris

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I had the opportunity to interview with the creator of Tetris a few years ago about the research on his game’s ability to help curb the kind of intrusive thoughts and flashbacks commonly associated with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. More recent studies have show that it can also help with cravings for food and alcohol. Ever since then I’ve wondered what Tetris does to the brain that helps prevent it from getting stuck in fight or flight mode, obsession with potential threats, or unwanted thoughts in general. It’s certainly not the most relaxing game ever made, though there is something oddly comforting about its cold, methodical, relentless demands for optimal spacial organization.

What is it about the repetitive analysis and processing of new blocks into a collection of old blocks that helps us to remain in control of our feeling/thought patterns? As always, Art Hawk has the answer!


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Jonathan Holmes
Destructoid Contributor - Jonathan Holmes has been a media star since the Road Rules days, and spends his time covering oddities and indies for Destructoid, with over a decade of industry experience "Where do dreams end and reality begin? Videogames, I suppose."- Gainax, FLCL Vol. 1 "The beach, the trees, even the clouds in the sky... everything is build from little tiny pieces of stuff. Just like in a Gameboy game... a nice tight little world... and all its inhabitants... made out of little building blocks... Why can't these little pixels be the building blocks for love..? For loss... for understanding"- James Kochalka, Reinventing Everything part 1 "I wonder if James Kolchalka has played Mother 3 yet?" Jonathan Holmes