What is a Tetris clear?

The word Tetris means two things: the game, and the four-line clear that gives it its name. Landing one feels great and scores better than anything else short of a T-spin.

Below you will find the short version first, then a fuller walkthrough with clear Tetris examples, a few closely related questions, and a link to try it yourself. Everything here is free to play right in your browser.

The short answer: A Tetris, capital T, is the move where you clear four rows in a single drop. You do it by keeping one column empty, stacking the other nine rows nine cells wide, and then dropping a vertical I piece into the gap. It is the highest-scoring standard clear in the game, which is why the whole game is named after it.

Four lines at once

To score a Tetris you deliberately leave one column, usually on the edge, completely empty while you build the rest of the field up at least four rows high. When you slot a vertical I piece into that column, all four rows complete simultaneously and vanish together. It takes patience, since you are stacking without clearing while you wait for the bar.

Single, double, triple, Tetris

Line clears are named by how many rows go at once: a single, a double, a triple, and the four-row Tetris. Each step up is worth disproportionately more, so four singles score far less than one Tetris. That escalating reward is the whole reason to build tall and clear big, as the scoring guide details.

The I-piece well

The empty column you save is called the well, and it is reserved almost exclusively for the I piece. Keeping the well clear while stacking cleanly around it is a core skill you will use in every serious game of Marathon. Misplace one block into the well and your planned Tetris turns into a scramble.

Go for a Tetris

People also ask

How does scoring work in Tetris?

Guideline Tetris pays more for bigger clears: roughly 100 points for a single, 300 for a double, 500 for a triple, and 800 for a four-line Tetris. Those base values are multiplied by your current level, and extra bonuses come from T-spins, back-to-back difficult clears, combos, and dropping pieces. That is why efficient big clears massively outscore many small ones.

What is back-to-back in Tetris?

Back-to-back, often shortened to B2B, is a bonus for performing difficult line clears one after another without an ordinary clear in between. Tetrises and T-spins count as difficult; a plain single, double, or triple breaks the chain. Each qualifying clear during a back-to-back streak earns roughly fifty percent extra points.

What is the best Tetris strategy?

The most reliable Tetris strategy is to keep your stack low and flat, leaving one column open so you can drop an I piece for a four-line Tetris. Avoid creating holes you cannot fill, and use the hold slot to save the piece you need. As speed rises, prioritize survival over greed and clear down before the stack gets dangerous.