In a remarkable gaming feat, 13-year-old Willis “Blue Scuti” Gibson has become the first human to complete the iconic Tetris video game. The achievement was accomplished during a live-streamed gaming session, where Gibson reached the elusive “true kill screen” on level 157.
Tetris, a game that entertained players for decades, had long been believed to have a maximum level of 29, where its speed peaked. However, a dedicated community of gamers refused to accept this as the end and embarked on a journey to explore the game’s uncharted territory.
In 2021, programmer Greg Cannon introduced an AI program, StackRabbit, which pushed Tetris to new limits by surpassing level 235, where the game experienced severe glitches and froze at level 237. This point was collectively acknowledged as the game’s true end, as it became impossible to proceed further.
The Tetris community researched the notorious “kill screen error” and made a groundbreaking discovery. They found that clearing a single line could trigger this error earlier than level 237, at a more attainable level 155. This revelation opened the door for human players to attempt this ambitious challenge.
Late in December 2023, Willis Gibson embarked on his quest to make Tetris history. He navigated through the game’s glitch-ridden levels and reached level 157. He achieved the coveted kill screen at this point, marking him as the first human to complete Tetris.
Gibson’s remarkable accomplishment secured his place in gaming history and resulted in several world records. His achievement encompassed the Overall Score, Level, Lines, and 19 Score categories.
Reflecting on his astonishing feat, Gibson shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel, where he stated that when he began playing Tetris, he never expected to crash the game or beat it. His journey from a novice player to a record-breaking Tetris master has captured the attention of gamers worldwide.
This milestone serves as a testament to the enduring appeal of classic video games like Tetris and the determination of the gaming community to explore every facet of their beloved titles. Willis Gibson’s achievement reminds us that even in the era of advanced gaming technology, there’s still room for groundbreaking accomplishments in retro gaming.
