What is the tetris effect?

The Tetris effect, also known as Tetris syndrome, is a psychological phenomenon where individuals who spend a significant amount of time playing a video game (specifically Tetris) start to see the game's patterns and shapes in their mind's eye even when they are not playing. This can manifest as dreaming about Tetris, visualizing falling Tetris blocks when closing their eyes, or even mistakenly perceiving real-life objects as Tetris blocks.

The Tetris effect is believed to occur because playing video games, particularly ones that involve repetitive and pattern-based gameplay like Tetris, can affect the brain's cognitive processing and visual perception. The brain becomes accustomed to the game's patterns and may begin to see them in other contexts as well.

Although the Tetris effect is generally harmless and temporary, it can be a sign of excessive gaming and overstimulation. It is also reflective of the brain's ability to adapt and rewire itself in response to external stimuli.

The phenomenon was named after the popular puzzle video game Tetris, which was first released in 1984. Since then, the Tetris effect has been observed in other video games and activities that involve repetitive patterns or tasks.