Competitive Tetris is INSANE | The SCIENCE...of Tetris

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I know there isn't necessarily a lot of "science" going on here in the sense of "here's some mathematical facts" but it still felt like it was structured as a SCIENCEy video to me? I dunno, it just felt right, and this is my show and you can't stop me. I had a ton of fun making this video, and I hope you like watching it!
the SCIENCE patreon: patreon.com/theSCIENCEyt
Shoddcast patreon: patreon.com/shoddycast
Shoddycast Discord: / discord
#tetris #esports

[@ShoddyCast]

✅Install Raid for Free Mobile and PC: clik.cc/2ZkEr and get a special starter pack with an Epic champion Kellan the Shrike 💥Use the Promo Code 4YEARSRAID to get 4 x Skill Tomes Legendary, 4 x Energy Refill, 400 x Energy, 400000 Silver. Available for ALL users by April 9! 💥Use the Promo Code FIRESTARTER to get an Epic Hero, 25 x XP Brew Magic and 200000 Silver. Available for NEW users only by April 9 Have you ever watched competitive Tetris? I really recommend it if you haven't yet.

[@dudepool7530]

With everything going on in the world, I cannot express how much I appreciate the return of Shoddycast, and Austin. You guys came back just in time for my mental health. Thank you for the dexompression!

[@jeffdroog]

Your channel is dead in the water when it starts showing me raid ads...Unsubscribed faster then lightning.Good luck on your next attempt at a channel.

[@alanolson6535]

dont take raids money there bad and actively hurt people your better than that

[@Airburn19]

Don't know if you will see this but bots are on your page now. Figured I'd give a heads up.

[@jeffdroog]

@Cody Scott Probably because of the awful raid ads...

[@brianbeswick]

I wonder if Austin has seen Code Bullet bullying online Tetris players with his Tetris AI?

[@atadamtp]

Code Bullet is life, Code Bullet is bullying Tetris players online, all hail the mighty AI ... and banned

[@ShoddyCast]

omg I haven't I should go dig it up, I love him so much

[@brianbeswick]

@@ShoddyCast kzbin.info/www/bejne/paSXdZaYpbFjhMU

[@sintanan469]

@@ShoddyCast Austin, we need a status report on your thoughts on Tetris bully AI fun.

[@mp3_45]

Exatly what went through my mind when I saw the thumbnail

[@naota3k]

8:46 this dude is incredible. He literally waited until he was about to clear a few lines so he could scratch an itch because he knew he'd have just a few extra milliseconds between pieces.

[@ReaperEOD]

Good catch, incredible.

[@aGameScout]

Thanks for the shoutout! Awesome video

[@tylerpatterson3328]

What also helped to inspire the rolling technique was Rob Scallon explaining to Jonas Neubauer a bass technique for playing triplets

[@wheresmymuffins]

I totally believe that; I used my knowledge from playing cello in middle/high school to click super fast at cookie clicker by using the fingers on my left hand to tap my finger that was actually on the mouse. So cool how something so far from a game can influence how it's played.

[@FairyCRat]

I was looking for that comment, I love how a guitarist, of all people, managed to make it in competitive gaming history.

[@lilyofluck371]

I was like, "Rob Scallon? Is there a different Rob Scallon than I'm aware of" and then you mentioned bass and I realized that, yes, _that_ Rob Scallon somehow inspired rolling. Small world eh

[@goflowjoe]

@@lilyofluck371 Did Cheez, the for all intents and purposes inventor of rolling as it is used in NES Tetris, confirm this inspiration?

[@lilyofluck371]

@@goflowjoe Don't ask me, ask the original commenter.

[@angledmusasabi]

You are the damn best, Austin. I'm so, so glad you're back and I look forward to whatever posting rhythm you can manage, enjoy, and succeed with.

[@itsdarkhere]

We reached a point that we have science for tetris.... I wonder how far this man can go

[@badoem5353]

Observation, pen paper and repition is just that "simple".

[@jeffdroog]

Science is just the word used to describe the the processes that we use to literally understand everything in the universe.Everything is science,and has scientific processes attached to them.Thats how we as humans attempt to understand anything we can observe.

[@itsdarkhere]

@@jeffdroog my guy, I am aware of that. Unfortunately though, my vocabulary is very limited and due to It, couldn't use the right term. I will try find an appropriate term that satisfy you in future if we ever meet.

[@thezipcreator]

​@@itsdarkhere their point was less about using the right word and more an acknowledgement that having science for niche things like this isn't really too weird.

[@mittensfastpaw]

As a kid my aunt was amazing at Tetris. Used to love watching her play. Insane how far some games have gone.

[@lucidmoses]

Yup, It's nice you have your own channel now. I don't wish the others bad or anything but it's nice not to have to filter out so much stuff from my sub feed.

[@RollMeAFat1]

07:10 I love how hype even the guy that was losing is here cos he’s clearly just so impressed

[@HeyoNight]

i'm just going to say that watching the finals in person was about 100x more insane then anyone could realize, we knew for months that games could have gone that long, but seeing it happen with such high stakes is something that has never and maybe will never happen again. also games are getting so long that linecaps are being added to most major tournaments now lol

[@DanVWeller]

As a not terrible Classic Tetris player I approve of this video.

[@PfyscheStyx]

The 34th best classic Tetris player in the world is in my computer science class and he’ll sometimes practice his rolling with the class’s NES connected to the projector. It is absolutely mind boggling to watch how fast it is

[@jeffreychandler8418]

its actually so awesome people are finding this out. Cause yeah fighting games have done it, but also guitar in guitar/clone her and rockband games. We have rake strumming where you use finger spaces/strumming to achieve faster strums. It's fascinating to see these techniques transitions to other games, some ancient

[@afrothekobold]

this video deserves more views. This shit is soo interesting! It's amazing how seemingly little things like changing the way you hold the controller or tap the buttons can flip the entirely of a competitive scene on it's head!

[@ITZsharky1]

Great video. I think you really encapsulated the competitive Tetris scene well. And the editing was really good

[@cord113]

More than 30 years later and I still have that gameboy Tetris music in my head...

[@OlyChickenGuy]

I've missed the SCIENCE of series so much! I'm very glad to have found it again. :3 I've subscribed, and eagerly await whatever you have to shout us next, but please don't feel any pressure by that statement because I'm a firm believer that allowing creators to cater to their own needs and health makes for better content in the end. I hope life treats you well, sir.

[@Someone-wall]

I'm so glad that this channel is back

[@D44RK_Iced_Yogs]

I think I’m slightly above average when it comes to Tetris- Tetris, especially the recent Effect just puts me in trance and I go hard. But seeing these dudes play is SO INSANE! The ways found when any game turns competitive or is made challenging is also baffling, speedrunning, challenge runs and competitive really shows how far some people will go when considering new tactics or refining their own tactics to be unique, especially in fighting games. It’s awesome and I’d love to see more from you Austin!! The science of how Tetris can help you physically and mentally as well is very interesting too. I can’t tell you how many times I covered it back in middle school. I haven’t looked it up in a hot minute, I might do so now.

[@1978SOOTY]

Is it Christmas already?!? Another video from Austin, let's go!

[@katathoombs]

I'm here from the update video. It's good you were in my feed, I had wondered just the other day when's Austin's next video coming up. I'll have to come here for them now, it seems.

[@Cruznick06]

I'm happy to see you cover this! Its so absurd but amazing how competitive Tetris works.

[@cloudya111]

Came here after ur GT explanation. Im glad u made this video! I hope you continue to make the videos you want to make and don’t let numbers in views dictate what you can and cannot make vids about!

[@drydenhillvibes2263]

Loved it! Looking at the physical techniques that high level players use, this video reminds me of your e-sports reaction time video. Great work!

[@1Jamesinator]

Wow. This is amazing. Competitive Tetris wouldn't be my jam, I prefer to be able to process what I'm watching, but that technique being developed is super interesting.

[@dagcristal8195]

This was extremely interesting. I never knew all the unique techniques that went into playing Tetris or how fast it really could get if you got that high, my mom and my family used to compete with each other for Tetris, but never got to be no full on competitive skill, so getting to hear all of this was really interesting. Thank you.

[@Justshrimpsfine]

Love the passion and enthusiasm behind this episode

[@dark2023-1lovesoni]

"What is rolling and why is it a big deal?" 90s rave flashbacks engaged

[@chasehicks6520]

starting out with "i missed the 2021 tetris championship" is hilarious. been subbed for like 6 years but completely forgot about this channel until this popped up in my feed

[@ComputerWizard]

I missed Shoddycast and Austin. Science is kinda cool but I am a fool, so these “science of” videos are awesome.

[@BrandonVonOtt]

KZbin failed to send this to me despite being subscribed, and I must say I’m glad I found it. Love Tetris!

[@keithblackwell8457]

Just want to say I love this content I’m happy I found you in my feed.

[@brandoningmire9118]

I know that this video hasn't really stacked up well next to your others in terms of views. However, I really, really liked it. I find speedrunning, pro gaming, and the human limit fascinating and would love to see more of this sort of content in the future.

[@renodangelo]

So good seeing you back, Austin.

[@Justshrimpsfine]

I love how crazy fast rolling became the known best strategy, not everyone using it, but just know that my default it is the best on paper method. It was like everyone was using controllers, and someone walked in with a mouse and keyboard.

[@Buster-Sharp]

Wile watching this video I downloaded and plaid Tetris for the first time since I was a kid. I'm so happy I found this channel. More Austin please!

[@Dlo2018]

im here for you austin. i saw your video on why things are the way they are. welcome back.

[@johndoe3307]

Tetris now? Austin is unstoppable!

[@cosmicwonderer6269]

Back in like 2017 or so i worked overnight so i browsed KZbin a shitton and found Jonas Neubauer and his insane win streak in tournaments and got me to play a lot of tetris. Pretty cool to see people now going so far beyond what even he couldn't do. RIP Jonas ❤

[@justasimplenobody2666]

I didn't even know there was a competitive tetris; tho I should've probably guessed. Also hearing "Sincerely, Austin" just gave me so much dopamine ❤ So glad I found your channel!

[@Airburn19]

Glad to see shoddy back up and running. Keep up the great work my friend.

[@leen8430]

Another fascinating deep dive into a mystery I didn't know I wanted solved. Great work & great video!

[@Shrimp0Gawd3]

Austin could make a video on almost anything at it'd still be one of the most riveting things on the platform.

[@ronjaskold595]

Loved the video. Competitive ain't really my scene but god do I love Tetris and the science of this.

[@Lodestone8]

So we've reached the peak of competitive gaming where how well one can tickle the controller determines the winners and losers

[@PatThePauper]

wild, this was really interesting. big ups guy

[@latioshunter]

I always love it when people find out secrets for old games... games that were thought to have been completed 300% and dug through the files over 12,000 times over.

[@MrZzdenda]

This video is amazing! Please do more videos like this, the fact that it interests you so much adds leagues to the video.

[@MidnightPanda995]

My brother and I were there at the 2022 Championship, the atmosphere there during the higher rounds was insane.

[@lostapostle76]

LOL @ them giving Rhonda Rousey striking special attacks in RAID

[@Jojo.F87]

Fun fact: A similar technique is used when playing repetitive notes in quick succession on the piano. I usually just do a 3-2-1 roll (middle finger, pointer finger, thumb) and, when used correctly in music, it almost sounds like a string instrument trilling on a single note. V cool, can't say I expected to see this same technique used in video gaming x)

[@alemirdikson]

The algorithm must've really hated this video. Dodged my bell and everything until I saw this mentioned in another, more recent video. I love that you're able to do more experimental content like this, hopefully Algorithm-sama doesn't hold you back too much homie.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Imagine if holding a button just every framed left/right, max side motion that the game can even process.

[@wolfegaming36]

Rolling is also a technique for speedcubing. If you need to rotate a slice 180 degrees, which is two 90 degree turns, you can roll yiur pointer finger then middle, or for some cases your ring finger then middle, to make the double twist faster than you could do two 90 degree turns with a single finger.

[@stevdor6146]

I use a similar rolling motion when playing tap-titan-like games on the smartphone (the whole screen is a button) where you tap fast to deal damage faster to get like 20+ taps per second, so i understand the principle.

[@BearTheFourth]

This video was fascinating; I can't wait to see more sciences like this!

[@daleharvey1614]

Keep it up Austin, love your stuff.

[@the-pink-hacker]

This game is probably gonna make me spiral down into a Tetris hyperfixation again.

[@catholiccontriversy]

The crazy thing is I remember watching a tetris documentary about the best players in the world at the time, and Thor (nintendo world champion) was the only person with a recorded video of getting past the kill screen, and he did so by setting up a center well because no one at the time could get the pieces to the edge before they hit the bottom.

[@quonit37]

I feel like this game will be a late bloomer, bc I would've loved this video when it came up, but never knew this video came out! and since your videos started appearing in your feed, I was able to go back and find it!

[@camwyn256]

Wow. That was the fastest Raid sponsor section I've seen

[@garrettvinson3376]

This is freaking amazing. Should have e way more views

[@AndresFelipeRa]

I dont know if you will read this, I had a long time I abandoned the theorist channel, because to be hones I only liked your videos, I may be on the minority but I have been a fan of watching competitive tetris and the crazy jumps that happened in the last 4 years, Its nice to catch up, know what happen, know that you are feeling better now and have found inspiration and new lights of happiness, you bring me joy with your way of describing science into video games and although it may not be much, I have also found happiness through your videos, I remember multiple ones on minecraft, mario, and other matters but thanks for all this years, thanks for this content.

[@keatonr776]

There's still time Austin, THE SCIENCE of the Paraglider!

[@SilentSlaymaker]

This is quite possible my favorite video of yours. I mean honestly, I’m a huge fallout fan through and through but I absolutely love Tetris. So it’s amazing to see you talk about this so passionately. You’re opinions and video style work way better when your talking about just whatever you rather than specifically fallout . I think this is a good move for your Channel overall and you should definitely keep to videos like this. 👊 Afterall someone is always going to talk about fallout, not just anyone is going to talk about this Tetris technique which I didn’t even know about, so keep up the good work mister!

[@Third_]

I just watched your most recent video, the only reason I hadn’t seen this one yet is I just didn’t know it existed 😭 I love this kind of content, its exactly what I subscribed for…. Why the KZbin algorithm had decided not to push it to me makes zero sense :(

[@meteorcat0730]

For those who want to hear more of Austin, remember to hit the bell icon, as I feel like he deserves at least that much, considering this ain't Game Theory anymore, so the reach is a looooooooot less I feel.

[@Luke32336]

Is he still affiliated with game theory, or have they parted ways? Ivy always liked the science better, so if he's done over there, I think I might be too.

[@koepisking]

Great to hear your voice again!

[@biggimmicke]

this reminds me of that golden eye (i think) glitch where you use two controllers, but rip the other open and like press down on it? idk something like that. Neat video I love content like this!

[@mikedett91]

I kind of hope austin follows up this video with the kid who hit the true killscreen

[@corkattack5646]

Wow, this is so interesting. I never thought pro had so much nuance to it other than smarts.

[@jamesbarnes7622]

i dont know why you said you regret making this video in the next one, despite it performing poorly i really enjoyed it

[@geli95us]

I think it is because the youtube algorithm punishes channels that post poor-performing videos, it's not only that this video performed bad, but future videos will also do worse because of this video, it's a horrible system, since it prevents creators from testing stuff out, but that's how it works

[@jamesbarnes7622]

@@geli95us ahh i dint know that thanks for the heads up and i agree with you its an awful way of prioritising videos since it does exactly what you said; punishing experimental videos

[@alienfire223]

Crab scratching! 💿🎚💿🎧

[@treelynx5487]

This video was way more interesting than the title gives it credit for I almost left from the long intro but I’m glad I didn’t. Good content might need to work refining KZbin stuff but good luck.

[@joseaguilar3323]

I remember when the Nintendo World Champion reaching level 30 was considered so absurd people didn't believe it was even possible (he later provided video evidence in 2010)

[@eacalvert]

Austin complaining that he's old and Tetris is older than him Me: but but....I remember when Tetris came out

[@GiantFlyingFoxes]

This video is a warm bowl of noodles, thank you!

[@tork1988]

Can't wait for the @summoningsalt video

[@iconic_trash6721]

somehow this makes me feel better about being terrible at tetris lol great vid ❤

[@bvoyelr]

Well. Didn't even know this video existed. I might have to actually ring that bell to help the algorithm realize that if it recommends this channel, people will come. (and, you know, so that I'll be NOTIFIED when a channel I'm subscribed to uploads a new video ffs)

[@cherrypanda7421]

no joke, we went to a tetris competition last night at a retro game store near us lmao

[@PukuDuckie]

Yay! I found the Tetris video! :D

[@tealablu3759]

This makes me want to play competitively… until I remember that I get stressed out as it gets too fast and i mess up once 😂😂

[@starfallsnow4490]

I've loved Tetris since the 1980s... Holy beans that's amazing.

[@crystalshard1349]

A few things that weren't mentioned (probably for time). 1. Charged DAS, basically whenever you start to move the pieces at the increased rate it takes a start up time where tetris is basically ensuring that you want to move the piece fast vs tapping, same thing as when you press a key on your keyboard and it's deciding whether it is a press or a hold. This is the Delay in DAS as well. However, you can remove that delay by holding onto the directional button before the next piece appears. When changing directions however, you have a few frames of opportunity to 'Charge' DAS and change directions before the piece appears. 2. Hypertappers did not dominate the tetris scene for a long time. Simply put, it is extremely hard to hypertap faster than DAS and as such wasn't seen as much in the competitive scene until after the 2018 world championship where there was an extreme upset between a new player and someone who had won multiple times in a row and was almost symbolic of a hypertapping vs DAS playstyle. 3a. There is a limit to how fast tetris goes, after a few levels after the kill screen eventually tetris pieces don't move faster with each level. This is why it becomes that endurance test as top players using rolling can easily get there. 3b. The change in focus of the game. Tetris used to be a sprint where it was about getting as many tetrises before the killscreen and was more so a sprint rather than a marathon. This mean that statistics such as a player's tetris rate or TRT was important. With rolling being so effective at clearing lines in max speed tetris, it incentivises a more passive and safe playstyle and as such has been met with a mixed reaction with some people saying that it makes tetris less exciting

[@EternalGamingNet]

This was super interesting. Always learn something new.

[@twilso12]

When you get beat like that in a championship for something you have PASSION for, you cheer in pure ecstasy and excitement with the revelation witnessed and possibilities now recognized within yourself At least that’s how I feel

[@Ancusohm]

This is awesome!

[@AJislostinthesauce]

Saw your other video and checked this one out I've never seen it recommended to me tho

[@Tariselan]

one thing ive noticed that the technique for pianists playing the same note over and over again is near identical to rolling

[@saltidog86]

I always wonder what the scene would look like today if these techniques were around in the beginning.

[@Zakanuva]

TIL that competitive Tetris players have basically invented a "Turbo" button for the NES controller _without modifying the existing controller._

[@TheFantasticG]

This is why I prefer to play Tetris on the PC

[@LordoftheOrange]

Loved this video! ❤️

[@BartanTirix]

This was really interesting, to be honest ^^

[@ПетърСолакоф]

Yooooo this is so cool!

[@jplayzow]

I wonder if eventually they will have to make it a speedrun who can reach round x or point score x first

[@Ryu_D]

Thank you for the video.

[@wheresmymuffins]

this reminds me of how when cookie clicker was really popular, I developed a technique where I'd use my left index/middle finger to "trill" (because I played cello, that's where the idea kinda came from) on my right finger which was actually on the mouse button. def not as efficient as this, but honestly I'm kinda surprised it's taken this long (esp w the arcade history you mentioned) for something similar to be developed for tetris