How to play Tetcolor

Choose a game

A complete selection has four parts: a game family, an Arcade or Classic variant, a play style, and optional Handicap. The family decides the ordinary matching and scoring rules. Arcade uses the same board and mechanics as Classic but adds Arcade Specials. The style controls progression or the available shapes. Handicap begins with a partly filled board without Arcade Specials.

• Tetcolor Duo matches colors and clears complete rows.
• Tetcolor concentrates on color matches.
• Columns drops vertical three-color stacks.
• Retris clears complete rows with falling shapes.

Keyboard, mouse and touch

Keyboard

• Left/Right or A/D: move.
• Down or S: soft drop.
• Up, W or Enter: rotate or cycle colors.
• Space: hard drop.
• Esc or P: pause.

Mouse and touch

• Drag left or right to move.
• Flick down quickly to hard drop.
• Tap the left or right side to rotate in that direction.
• A mouse drag follows the same gesture rules as touch.

Normal, Relax and Crazy

Normal starts at level 1 and gets faster after every 21 settled pieces. Relax lets you choose one of eight fixed speed presets. Crazy follows Normal's progression but makes the family's expanded shape pool available immediately.

Tetcolor Duo, Tetcolor and Retris support all three styles in Arcade and Classic. Columns supports Normal and Relax in both variants.

Matches, rows and scoring

Tetcolor and Columns remove runs of three or more blocks of one color horizontally, vertically or on either diagonal. Tetcolor Duo checks those matches and every completely occupied row in the same pass. Retris clears complete rows regardless of color.

Tetcolor Duo, Tetcolor and Columns award n × (n + 1) / 2 points for n unique blocks removed in a pass. The cascade multiplier starts at ×1 and doubles after every successful pass. Retris awards 1, 4, 12 or 24 points for one, two, three, or at least four rows cleared together; its displayed multiplier does not multiply that award.

In Arcade, a colored block on a newly generated piece can carry one primary special: Normal Bomb, Horizontal Bomb, Vertical Bomb, Lightning Bomb, Mega Bomb, Bomb Activator, or Stone Cover. The same block can also have an Ice Cover over its color and primary special. Across the settled field, current piece, and next preview, the visible capacities are five bombs in total (including Mega Bombs), three Bomb Activators, ten Stone Covers, and ten Ice Covers.

A bomb activates when its colored block qualifies for the family's ordinary removal or a bomb hits it. Normal Bomb reaches its eight neighbors; Horizontal Bomb reaches its occupied row; Vertical Bomb reaches its occupied column; Lightning Bomb reaches every block of its underlying color; and Mega Bomb combines all four target sets. Bomb generations resolve one at a time, 0.5 seconds apart. Each unique occupied block destroyed only by a bomb adds 1 point, with no multiplier and no match/row statistic; ordinary scoring likewise counts only blocks actually destroyed.

Bomb Activator has a color and activates through the same ordinary or bomb strike. It disappears and triggers every settled bomb without making a local blast; several activators reached together produce one deduplicated global trigger. Stone Cover also has a color, but ordinary removal cannot destroy it. Once settled it stays at that coordinate forever, supports blocks above it, and divides its column into separate falling segments; only a bomb can remove it.

Ice Cover can protect any ordinary or special block. The first distinct strike removes only the ice and does not activate the covered special. A later bomb generation can strike the exposed block, and once the resolution ends the exposed block behaves normally. A just-thawed block stays anchored during that resolution. Gravity and segmented column collapse wait until the complete bomb chain and all removal feedback finish.

Landing and hard drop

When a falling piece first reaches support, it stays adjustable for 0.4 seconds if a legal sideways move or rotation exists. Moving or rotating does not extend that deadline. A sealed piece locks immediately.

If an adjustment moves the piece over a gap, ordinary falling resumes and the next landing gets a fresh adjustment window. Space and a fast downward flick use the same hard-drop rule. A second hard drop while the piece remains supported confirms the placement.

Common questions

Does Tetcolor need installation?

No. It is an HTML5 browser game. Installation is optional and adds an app-like shortcut.

Is an account required?

No. The game works without an account. Online scores use an anonymous game identity.

What does Arcade change?

Arcade keeps the family's Classic geometry and ordinary rules, but newly generated pieces can carry layered Arcade Specials. The ordinary rule supplies the first strike; ice, primary-special behavior, bomb generations, and segmented collapse then resolve in order.

What does Handicap change?

It prepares a partly filled starting board before the first controllable piece. It is a starting modifier, not a separate style.