Tom Stafford writes at Mind Hacks on the strange psychology of why Tetris is so damn addictive, and how it scratches some natural human tendencies to make order out of chaos.
Tetris holds our attention by continually creating unfinished tasks. Each action in the game allows us to solve part of the puzzle, filling up a row or rows completely so that they disappear, but is also just as likely to create new, unfinished work. A chain of these partial-solutions and newly triggered unsolved tasks can easily stretch to hours, each moment full of the same kind of satisfaction as scratching an itch.
It’s a game that some have said has the potency of an addictive drug, and affects the mind so significantly that it can be used in PTSD therapy. Check out the full story at the link above to learn more about the brain’s desire to focus around goals, and how Tetris exploits that for simple, satisfying fun.
And then when you’re done, make sure you check out this amazing fully-playable LED Tetris jack-o-lantern!!!!