Tetris 99

Think of this game as battle royale for puzzle lovers. Tetris 99 builds off the currently in-vogue concept of having 100 players battle against each other until just one is left standing, except that instead of using guns and grenades, they're putting their ability to quickly and efficiently stack blocks to the test. Veteran Tetris players will find the action very familiar. The strategy hasn't changed at all: you can still plan ahead by viewing upcoming tetrominoes and parking those that could come in handy later off to the side to be called on when needed. It's still in your best interest to risk a rising grid in order to potentially clear a four-line "Tetris," since doing so causes grief for one of your opponents. Plus, as the game progresses, it slowly begins to speed up, putting more pressure on players to be quick and precise with their movements. It's a bit stressful, but -- as has always been the case with Tetris -- also deeply satisfying.

Competing against 98 other players is really just a way of taking pride in your existing or evolving skill. Rookies may be among the initial players knocked out during their first few games, but it won't take them long to begin climbing the ladder and leveling up. Veteran players are bound to feel a burning drive to prove that their years spent stacking blocks on systems ranging from Game Boy to PlayStation 4 weren't for naught, and that they're among the most elite players in the world. That matches are typically over in just a handful of minutes just makes the experience all that much more habit forming, as it urges us to jump back in and see if we can do better next time. Tetris 99 proves that just a little variation on a proven recipe can breathe fresh life into a beloved classic.