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How to Play

Lisetris plays the way falling-block games have always played, which means you already half know it. Here is the other half.

The goal

Pieces fall into the well one at a time. Move, rotate, and drop each one to build complete horizontal rows; a completed row clears, and everything above it settles down. Keep the stack low and the rows clearing.

In Classic, speed rises as you clear rows, and the game ends when the well tops out, when the stack climbs so high that new pieces have no room to enter. In Relaxed, the same well is a gentler place to be.

Choosing a mode

From the main menu, choose Play and pick your evening:

  • Classic. Speed rises as you clear rows. Play until the well tops out. This is the mode with the pounding heart.
  • Relaxed. For learning the controls, unwinding, or admiring the neon.

Controls

ActionKeys
Move left or A
Move right or D
Soft drop or S
Hard dropSpace
Rotate or X
Rotate backZ
HoldC or Shift
PauseP or Esc
MuteM

Soft drop vs hard drop

  • Soft drop ( or S) hurries the piece downward while you keep full control; you can still slide and rotate all the way to the floor. It is the careful player's accelerator.
  • Hard drop (Space) commits. The piece slams straight down to where it was headed, instantly. Fast, decisive, and unforgiving of a placement you had not quite finished thinking about.

Learn with soft drop; graduate to hard drop when your placements stop surprising you.

The hold slot

Press C or Shift to tuck the current piece away for later. Hold is a pocket for the piece that deserves a better spot than the stack can offer right now, or the escape hatch when the falling piece is exactly the wrong shape for the moment. More on using it well in Tips.

Pause and quiet

P or Esc pauses the game when life interrupts. M mutes the sound when you need the neon without the noise.

Keep reading

  • Gameplay covers modes, speed, and scoring in depth.
  • Tips has practical stacking advice.