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Game Mode: Tetris Turns 40 : 1A Think back to the first time someone told you about the game Tetris. Was it a friend? An older sibling or a parent? Maybe you saw someone playing it at an arcade.

How long did it take you to get what Tetris is — what you had to accomplish in the game and how to play it?

2024 boasts the 40th anniversary of the classic game of falling blocks, known as tetrominoes.

More than 520 million copies of Tetris have been sold since its worldwide release in the 1980s.

For our series "Game Mode", we're setting up to stack — looking at the game's history and why it became and has stayed popular.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

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Game Mode: Tetris Turns 40

Game Mode: Tetris Turns 40

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This photograph taken on shows a screen displaying Tetris 1989 puzzle video game by Atari at the Game Story exhibition, which explores 70 years of video game history. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

This photograph taken on shows a screen displaying Tetris 1989 puzzle video game by Atari at the Game Story exhibition, which explores 70 years of video game history.

DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

Think back to the first time someone told you about the game Tetris. Was it a friend? An older sibling or a parent? Maybe you saw someone playing it at an arcade.

How long did it take you to get what Tetris is — what you had to accomplish in the game and how to play it?

2024 boasts the 40th anniversary of the classic game of falling blocks, known as tetrominoes.More than 520 million copies of Tetris have been sold since its worldwide release in the 1980s.

The gaming studio Digital Eclipse is out with a new game celebrating said anniversary. It's called "Tetris Forever." It's a collection of different versions of Tetris, but with a twist that looks back at the game's past.

For our series "Game Mode", we're setting up to stack — what's behind the game's history how has it managed to stay so popular?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.