How to Play with Friends on Tetris Friends

If you’re looking to stack some tetrominoes with your buddies, there are some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that Tetris Friends is no more. In May 2019, Tetris Friends officially closed up shop along with its parent company, Tetris Online. This probably isn’t what you wanted to read, but don’t despair just yet, there’s good news as well.

There are many good, and a few great, alternatives to Tetris Friends. Tetris Friends was a very popular game and some imitators were bound to crop up. Keep reading to find out about the best ones. This article will cover games on several platforms, so you may just find something even more suitable for you than Tetris Friends.

Puyo Puyo Tetris

If you’re not familiar with Puyo Puyo, don’t worry about it as it’s very similar to Tetris. First of all, you should know that this is the priciest option on this list. As the name implies, this is a mashup of Puyo Puyo and Tetris. Puyo Puyo is very similar to Tetris but uses rotating blobs instead of tetrominoes. You can learn more about it on its Steam page.

To play with your friends, invite them through the Steam social menu. Up to four players can compete in an arcade-style brawl. The game also features a single-player mode with stages to complete. Unfortunately, if you’re in the market for free alternatives, this isn’t the game for you.

Jstris

This is a very bare-bones alternative which, nevertheless, hits all the high marks. You can play Jstris with up to 60 people in a large lobby. To play with friends, you can create a private room which won’t be visible to other players. The game will provide you with a link to invite your friends.

Jstris is very close to the original Tetris Friends and has some pretty unique game modes, such as Cheese Race and survival. Cheese Race pits you against other players with a preset portion of the screen blocked up which you have to “eat” through. The game is free to play, so it deserves at least a look.

Jstris is the game that most former Tetris Friends players seem to have migrated to. It may not look and feel quite the same, but the mechanics are all there, and it scratches the same itch.

Tetris 99

As far as Tetris games go, this is probably the most popular one currently available. Unfortunately, Tetris 99 is only available on the Nintendo Switch for the time being. Plans to port it to PC are a bit hazy, but keep an eye out for that. You can download it for free with a Nintendo Switch Online account.

This game pits you against 99 other players in a battle royale style game. It’s exactly what it sounds like: 99 players enter, one player leaves. The great thing about this game mode is that it never feels like a loss. In 1v1 scenarios, there’s a clear winner and loser, but in Tetris 99, you’re essentially just trying to reach a degree of winning.

If you have access to the Nintendo Switch Online service, this is probably the best alternative on the list. Give this one a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Cultris

Cultris is very similar to Tetris Friends. Developed by Gewaltig Entertainment, it is much more focused on speed and competition. There are Windows and iOS versions available to download on their website. As a standalone application, this will require an installation on your computer. When you launch the game, you can create a Gewaltig account to track your scores or play as a guest.

To play with your friends, you can create a Team Play room and invite them to the game. This may seem like a funny thing to praise it for, but of all the games on this list, Cultris has the best soundtrack. The tracks playing during games are very engaging and keep the tempo high. All things considered, this is a very polished game and will appeal to most Tetris Friends fans.

You Will Be Missed, Tetris Friends

Gone but not forgotten, Tetris Friends at one point saw millions of active users. It’s a shame that things didn’t work out, but in its wake, it leaves a host of worthy successors. For a similar feel that lets you jump into the action right away, try Jstris. If you’re ready to move up to a paid option, you won’t go wrong with Puyo Puyo Tetris.

Though there are many good options available, the lucky few who have access to a Nintendo Switch will have the best experiences. Tetris 99 is immensely popular with fans and newcomers alike. It’s limited to that single platform, but that may soon change.

How did you get started playing Tetris? Share some of your first Tetris experiences in the comments below, and tell us which game replaced Tetris Friends for you.