Hextris Tetris: a close look, tips and whether it is worth your time

If you enjoy short sessions that are hard to walk away from, give this one a look. Below is everything you need before the first launch: the gist, the controls and some working techniques.

What this game is

"Hextris" is an addictive survival puzzle — Tetris turned inside out. A hexagon sits in the center of the screen while colored blocks fall toward it from six sides. Keep them from spilling past the outer border. Rotate the hexagon with the left and right arrow keys (or tap the left/right half of the screen on a phone) to line up the right side. Match three or more blocks of the same color in a row and they vanish for points. The longer your chain, the higher the multiplier; colored ticks on the outer ring show how long the combo will last. Hold the down arrow to speed the fall. High scores are saved right in your browser. All graphics are drawn in code; the web build has no sound.

How to play, in short

1. "Hextris" is an addictive survival puzzle — Tetris turned inside out.

2. A hexagon sits in the center of the screen while colored blocks fall toward it from six sides.

3. Keep them from spilling past the outer border.

4. Rotate the hexagon with the left and right arrow keys (or tap the left/right half of the screen on a phone) to line up the right side.

5. Match three or more blocks of the same color in a row and they vanish for points.

6. The longer your chain, the higher the multiplier; colored ticks on the outer ring show how long the combo will last.

7. Hold the down arrow to speed the fall.

8. High scores are saved right in your browser.

9. All graphics are drawn in code; the web build has no sound.

A few final tips

• Check out the demo mode on the game page — the AI shows how it is played, and repeating it yourself gets much easier.
• Play in short sessions: the best results come with a warmed-up head.

A perfect way to kill ten minutes — and suddenly an hour is gone. Ready to try? "Hextris Tetris"