15-Year-Old Sets 6 Tetris World Records with Highest Ever Score

A 15-year-old gamer has achieved a significant milestone by breaking six world records in the classic video game Tetris. The accomplishment occurred in March and April this year, with the teenager, Alex Thach, achieving a top score of over 16.7 million and winning thousands of dollars in prizes.

In addition to his high scores, Thach was the first person to trigger a visual glitch in the game, dubbed “Summoning Satan.” His achievements were shared on the YouTube channel aGameScout, which posts Tetris-related videos, showcasing clips of Thach’s impressive gameplay.

Thach expressed his dedication to Tetris, stating that he had been playing the game seriously for four years and that achieving such a high score was a career highlight for him as a NES Tetris player. In overcoming the game’s increasingly challenging speeds and overwhelming gameplay, Thach set a new modded cart score record.

It is noted that the game becomes exceedingly difficult as it speeds up, ultimately overwhelming players. The game’s highest level, 29, is believed to be beyond the capacity of human reaction and presents additional challenges with changing block colors.

The NES version of Tetris was previously thought to be conquerable only by AI due to its near-instant perception and flawless decision-making. However, both Willis Gibson and Alex Thach have achieved extraordinary success in the game, surpassing previous limitations.

Tetris was originally developed by Russian scientist Alexey Pajitnov in 1984, and its name is derived from the Greek numerical prefix “tetra” and Pajitnov’s favorite sport, tennis. The game gained popularity on the Nintendo Entertainment System.