Does playing Tetris makes you smarter?

Table of Contents

1. The Study That Started It All

2. Tetris Reshapes Your Brain (Literally)

3. What Tetris Actually Improves

4. The Use of Tetris in Trauma Therapy

5. The Truth: Smarter or Just Better at Tetris?

The Study That Started It All

Back in 1992, a neuroscientist named Richard Haier ran a weird experiment.

He had people play Tetris every day for a few weeks while scanning their brains with PET (positron emission tomography). What he found flipped a big assumption in neuroscience:

Less brain activity = more skill? 💀

Turns out, as you get good at something, your brain uses less energy to do it. The best players showed the biggest drop in glucose metabolism in their cortex.

This became the foundation of the neural efficiency theory:

Instead of lighting your brain on fire, learning a skill like Tetris makes your brain quieter and more efficient.

So yeah, Tetris doesn’t “stimulate your brain” like those fake brain training apps say.

It actually teaches your brain to optimize and stop wasting power.

This was just the beginning. Things got crazier once researchers brought in MRI machines...

Tetris Reshapes Your Brain (Literally)

Fast-forward to the MRI era.

Researchers wanted to see if playing Tetris could physically change your brain, not just make it more efficient.

So they got a bunch of teenagers to play 30 minutes of Tetris daily for 3 months.

Then they scanned their brains.

What they found was wild:

The cortex, the outer layer of your brain, actually got thicker.

Specifically, these areas grew:

🔸 Left Frontal Lobe (Brodmann Area 6)
Involved in planning and coordinating movement.

🔹 Left Temporal Lobe (Brodmann Areas 22 & 38)
Handles multisensory integration, visual, touch, sound, even internal signals.

So basically, Tetris didn’t just make brains quieter (from the PET scans)…

It also made them physically stronger in the areas used for pattern recognition, hand-eye coordination, and decision-making.

These new thicker areas were different from the areas that became more efficient in the 1992 study. That means Tetris hits multiple brain systems at once, like a full cognitive workout for your visual and spatial muscles.

Still doesn’t raise IQ, but it’s not just a waste of time either.

What Tetris Actually Improves

So... what do you actually get better at by playing Tetris?

🧩 Visuospatial Working Memory

Tetris is basically visual Sudoku on steroids. You’re rotating shapes, predicting where they’ll land, and reacting fast. That visuospatial working memory muscle gets stronger. But only that. Verbal memory, logic, or reasoning? No boost.

🌀 Spatial Skills

Studies show consistent gains in:

🔹 Spatial visualization (mentally moving stuff around)
🔹 Spatial perception (seeing how shapes fit together)
🔹 Mental rotation (imagining blocks spinning in 3D)

But not all studies agree, some big ones found zero mental rotation transfer. So it might depend on how the test is done (or who you ask).

⚡ Processing Speed & Attention

Here’s where Tetris really shines:

🔸 Visual attention
🔸 Selective attention (filtering distractions)
🔸 Decision-making under pressure

You get faster, sharper, and more locked-in.

These benefits are real, but they’re also specific. You’ll get better at Tetris-like tasks, not suddenly start crushing IQ tests or solving quantum physics.

Still cool tho.

The Use of Tetris in Trauma Therapy

Yep. Tetris was tested as a trauma treatment.

Researchers had this theory:

Right after a traumatic event, your brain starts “saving” the memory, especially the visual part of it. But your brain has limited visual memory space.

So what if... you distracted it?

With a fast-paced, visually demanding game like Tetris?

That’s what they tried…

In small studies, people who played Tetris shortly after a traumatic experience (like watching distressing videos or car crash footage) reported:

🔸 Fewer intrusive visual flashbacks
🔸 Less emotional re-experiencing

The logic: Tetris overwrites that short-term visual memory space before trauma can stick.

Sounds kinda genius, right?

But here’s the catch...

Major problems:

🔹 Most studies had tiny sample sizes
🔹 Almost none showed long-term PTSD improvements
🔹 A lot of the research failed to replicate

One big review basically said: Yeah, some people had fewer flashbacks...
But no improvement in actual PTSD symptoms like anxiety, sleep, or stress.

So the hype was overblown. Cool theory, just didn’t hold up in the real world.

Still, this showed that Tetris isn’t just a “game.”

It’s a weird little window into how memory and visual processing actually work.

The Truth: Smarter or Just Better at Tetris?

Let’s stop playing games for a sec.

Does playing Tetris make you smarter?

Here’s the real answer:

✅ Yes... if by “smarter” you mean:

🔸 Better spatial memory
🔸 Sharper visual attention
🔸 Faster decision-making
🔸 Improved brain efficiency in specific tasks
🔸 Even physical brain changes in areas tied to movement and perception

But...

❌ No... if you’re talking about:

🔹 General intelligence (IQ)
🔹 Problem-solving in real life
🔹 Academic performance or verbal reasoning
🔹 Permanent cognitive upgrades

Tetris helps with what you practice inside the game. That’s called “near transfer.”

But when it comes to “far transfer”, skills that help you outside the game, research says: not really.

The gains are also temporary. Stop playing, and your brain goes back to baseline.

TL;DR:
Tetris is like a mental gym session for visual-spatial circuits. It won’t make you a genius, but it will sharpen your mental reflexes, for a bit.

And honestly... that’s still pretty dope.

FAQ

1. Does Tetris increase IQ?
Nope. It boosts specific skills like spatial memory and attention, but not general intelligence or IQ.

2. Can Tetris help with ADHD or focus issues?
Some research shows it can improve visual attention and processing speed, but it’s not a medical treatment.

3. Is Tetris good for your brain?
Yes, if you want to train visual-spatial skills. It also increases brain efficiency and changes brain structure in some areas.

4. Can Tetris reduce anxiety or stress?
Temporarily, yes. Like any engaging task, it can distract your brain and induce a flow state. But long-term? Not proven.

5. How often should I play Tetris to see benefits?
Most studies used 30 minutes a day for several weeks. Results fade without regular play.

6. Is Tetris better than other brain games?
It's one of the most studied ones. And unlike many brain training apps, it shows real cognitive effects (even if narrow).

7. Does playing Tetris improve memory?
Only visuospatial working memory, not verbal or long-term memory.

8. Can Tetris prevent dementia or cognitive decline?
There’s no strong evidence for that. But staying mentally active in general is linked to healthier aging.

9. What is the Tetris Effect?
It’s when you start seeing falling blocks in your mind even when you’re not playing. Harmless, but kinda trippy.

10. Can Tetris help after trauma?
It might reduce short-term flashbacks if played right after trauma, but doesn’t treat PTSD or emotional distress long-term.