What happens after you beat 'Tetris'?

For the first time ever, a gamer finished the final level

Michael Khanh Artiaga has achieved what millions of people failed to do for about forty years: he beat Tetris, reported DW.

The classic video game developed in the Soviet Union challenges the player to stack falling 2D pieces together so they form a wall with no gaps. Advancing from level 0 to 29 makes the pieces drop faster and faster, and at some point it becomes impossible for most players to keep up. The pieces pile up, reach the top of the playing screen, and then it's game over.

Tetris is beloved the world over and has sold over 435 million copies on various platforms, including the classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Some masters of the game have developed novel controller manipulation techniques that allow them to keep up with the game at its maximum speed. Last year, young player Willies Gibson became the first to reach level 157 before a crash ended his run - which was widely reported as him "beating" Tetris. But there was still one milestone to go.

Livestreaming on Twitch under the handle of "dogplayingtetris" in October 2024, Texan 16-year-old Michael Khanh Artiaga skillfully avoided various glitches that tend to cause Tetris to break on very high levels. After 80 minutes, he became the first person in history to reach level 255.

After beating this level on the Nintendo console, there was no congratulatory message or virtual confetti - without much fanfare, the game started again on Level 0. In gaming terms, the very first Tetris "rebirth"!

Unlike books, movies or songs, many popular computer games have no clearly set end. Tetris, or the popular mobile game Candy Crush, are presented as a row of digital puzzles where levels simply keep on coming. Sometimes, games block access to further content until players prove they have the skills to match it. Other times, game publishers demand extra money to provide new levels, expansions or quests.

Kissed by a princess

But there are many games that do have a clear story that moves towards a goal, including another 1980s classic, Super Mario Bros. The player controls a moustachioed plumber named Mario on a quest to free the beautiful Princess Peach from the villainous Bowser. What happens on its final level?

Super Mario Bros challenges the player to fight through a total of 32 levels divided into eight "worlds" before finally reaching Princess Peach. After Mario frees her, the princess gives him a kiss. The player can then choose to end the game or keep playing at a higher difficulty, either from the start or from a level of their choosing.

Meeting the Grim Reaper

Then there are games without a set goal. The Sims, where the player controls people in a simulated world, is one of the most popular franchises of all time, selling more than 200 million copies. The characters can become rich, start a family, annoy their neighbours or have a major life crisis, all based on the player's choices. But there is no end game.

Theoretically, you could play The Sims forever: The original characters die but the game continues as long as there are children who can take their place. Sims die of old age, disease and hunger. They can also be made to drown or burn, giving the player a chance to play out their evil streak. A Sim whose time has come will be taken by the Grim Reaper. After doing his job, the dark robed figure sometimes hangs around the house, goes to the toilet or plays video games inside the Sims world. The player can only watch, because Death cannot be stopped.

Playing is the only goal

The global phenomenon Minecraft also has open narrative structure. Since 2011, the game has motivated millions of players to create seemingly endless worlds by engaging in the simple game play loop of resource-gathering, combat, survival and building. Minecraft is a "sandbox" game, with the genre named after actual sandboxes where children can use their imaginations to tell their own stories. Each Minecraft player decides for themselves what their goals are.

But even without a specific ending, there is an end credits scene that can be unlocked if the player takes the time to search for it. They first need to find a hidden portal, then fight a dragon. If they win, a long so-called cutscene follows that presents a poetic, philosophical conversation between two higher beings. The unknown entities speak to the player and about the player, who they refer to as "it."

"It has reached a higher level now. It can read our thoughts," one of them says. "That doesn't matter," the other one replies. "It thinks we are part of the game."

Tetris winner Artiaga is another who refused to give up. After reaching the "rebirth" and setting a new world record, he played on and climbed back up to Level 90. Sometimes playing is the only end goal we need.