Tetris gets a curious new logo for its birthday

The Tetris brand gets a refresh just in time for its 35th anniversary.

Age is a funny thing, take it from me. The belly gets bigger, hair grows greyer, and winning a death-match becomes an increasingly distant memory. At this time of life it’s not unusual to be tempted by a change of style, or a new look to refresh your ageing, sagging body. You can also take it from me that it rarely works.

It’s something you often see in video games, with equally mixed results. Remember the attempts to reinvent Golden Axe with Beast Rider, or 2007’s Shadowrun? In Tetris, however, we have a game that is as relevant and engaging today as it ever was.

Last year’s PlayStation 4 exclusive, Tetris Effect, blended the classic tetrimino-dropping gameplay with Mizuguchi’s trademark synesthesia to stunning effect, and in virtual reality to boot. The result was in the running for multiple Game of the Year awards.

It was followed this year by the surprise release of Tetris 99 on Nintendo Switch, a beautifully executed puzzle-royale twist on the game’s multiplayer mode.

To mark today’s occasion of its 35th birthday, the official Tetris logo has also had a revamp. The new look features a warmer, stronger typeface that increases legibility. Curiously, however, the dimensions of the new logo are not an accurate representation of the T-tetrimino shape. Tut tut.

Speaking about the game’s anniversary, Maya Rogers from brand owner Blue Planet Software, says:

“It’s been 35 years since Tetris first debuted, and just like the game’s colorful Tetriminos and Line Clearing gameplay, what also remains the same is that people simply love Tetris. Today, Tetris is as popular as ever among fans worldwide, and we’re thrilled to share this monumental moment with them.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by all of us here at Thumbsticks. Alexey Pajitnov’s game is one we’ve experienced on 8-bit computers and consoles, on the dingy screen of the Game Boy, on our phones, in virtual reality, and now online against 98 other players. Tetris has been ever-present in our gaming lives and we hope it remains so for many years to come. Happy birthday.

We’re still not convinced by the branded diapers, though.