I’m not much older than Tetris, a game I’ve played my entire life. And yet, I only just learned now it’s a something you can technically beat. I always just assumed you played until the pieces moved too fast and you lost. But after 34 years someone has done exactly that. A 13-year-old prodigy became the first human to ever reach a “True Killscreen.” It’s a point so far into the game that Tetris simply stops working.
On December 21, 2023 Willis Gibson, who goes by the online handle Blue Scuti, did something once thought impossible. Using quick-touch controller techniques, programing probability models, a whole lot of skill, and some luck, he reached a killscreen during level 157 of Tetris. The game essentially broke thanks to a glitch resulting from old, original code. It was one of the glitched originally designed not to matter because humans weren’t meant to make it that far. Triggering one of those glitches made him the first person to ever best Tetris before it could best them. The run also gave him the Overall Score, Level, Lines, and 19 Score world records, but those are secondary to “beating” Tetris. That’s how big a deal this is.
This once unthinkable accomplishment (which we first heard about Popular Science) had become a goal for the most prominent members of the Tetris-playing community. In fitting fashion for the speed game, it had become a race to reach one of the available killscreens in the game. You can learn about the incredible history and work that led to Blue Scuti’s victory in this amazing video from the YouTube channel aGameScout. It’s a riveting account of a dedicated fanbase pushing the limits on an iconic game, with an easy-to-understand explanation of the technical aspects.
You can also watch the record-setting run in its entirety. Even knowing the outcome won’t stop your palms from sweating as this talented kid gets closer and closer to his dream. Especially when he misses his first chance at triggering a killscreen.
While Scuti is the first human to beat the game, this is not the end for ambitious Tetris players. It’s actually possible to avoid every end game trigger and reach level 255. Humans using computer programs can do it.
If someone clears level 255 Tetris actually resets to level 1. Reaching that final achievement is known as the “Rebirth Screen.” Considering what he did at age 13, we won’t count out Willis’ chances of reaching that, too.