How to Perform a T-Spin in Tetris
We'll tell you how to pull off the T-Spin, one of the most popular moves in Tetris.
Whenever you get into a conversation with another Tetris fan, strategies and tactics are bound to come up. While Tetris can be approached in a wide variety of ways, some methods are more popular than others. One such method is the T-Spin. If you’ve heard the phrase “T-Spin” mentioned before but weren’t quite sure what it meant, don’t worry. Let’s take a quick look at what a T-Spin is and how you can use it in Tetris!
If you guessed that the T-Spin involves spinning the T-Tetrimino, you’re correct! At first, knowing how to perform a proper T-Spin can be a bit tricky. To add to the complexity, the way that you use the T-Spin might change depending on what version of Tetris you’re playing, as well as the particular game mode.
First, let’s address what a T-Spin is specifically. In Tetris, a T-Spin describes the act of placing a T-Tetrimino into a T-Slot (i.e., a slot shaped like a T-Tetrimino), then rotating it before the piece is Locked Down. Oftentimes, this maneuver relies upon the last Tetrimino move being a rotation (not downwards or to the side).
Additionally, three of the four corner squares that comprise the T-Tetrimino must be occupied either by the wall of the Matrix, or by other Tetriminos. One of the best places to give the T-Spin a try is single-player. This is because you can really take your time analyzing the movement of the T-Tetrimino, rather than worrying about how quickly your opponent is clearing lines and sending over Garbage.
To set up a T-Spin, you’ll need to create a gap where the T-Tetrimino can fit inside and rotate. Tetriminos that are particularly useful for this setup include the Z and S-Tetriminos, although there are other ways to set yourself up for a T-Spin.
After you figure out how to set up your stack and use the T-Spin method in single-player, you’ll want to move on to learning how to perform a T-Spin in multiplayer. Just like the Tetris Line Clear method that utilizes the I-Tetrimino, T-Spins are a powerful move, especially in a multiplayer setting.
What you want to do is fill in your T-Slot horizontally (see example above) so that your T-Tetrimino clears lines after placement. Then, perform another major bonus action right away. You’ll send piles of garbage over to your opponent, rack up a high score, and possibly even knock out your opponent.
Both the T-Spin method and Tetris Line Clear method are great ways to approach Tetris. Of course, how you choose to play is entirely up to you. The main goal is to clear lines, and there’s no right or wrong way to do so.
If you’re looking to give the T-Spin method a try, click here to hop into a single-player round of Tetris online!
