Confessions of a Tetris Addict

Tetris has changed the life of James Clewett, the 1999 world champion. He is now on the brink of finishing a PhD in physics. Here he describes his obsession with the game and where it has led him.
Film by Brady Haran

[@Terrr05]

This statistical mechanics PhD student is helping me get my degree in procrastination this evening.

[@liahansen6896]

_"IMANENGINEERTESTINGASYSTEM!"_ lol

[@DaryxFox]

Lia Hansen Mmmh yeah baby? That sounds nice, how about you test my systems?

[@JustSueMe]

I came to this video by mistake and to be completly honest I don't really care about Tetris all that much. However this video captivated me from the first second all the way to the last. James story is really interesting and he seems like a very genuine and insightful guy. The video was very well paced as well. Nice job!

[@MasterVsStudent]

JustSueMe ... is this the most wholesome KZbin comment ever?!?

[@guitsgarcia5446]

sadly this video inspired me to dwell into a tetris binge instead of studying for my classes

[@privateaccount4460]

@@guitsgarcia5446 same

[@mexicanreformist1522]

I enjoyed the raw emotion, and story telling James conveyed.

[@victoriapownall4871]

Hahahahah

[@mexicanreformist1522]

+victoria pownall ?

[@victoriapownall4871]

+MexicanReformist I thought you were being sarcastic maybe not then...

[@bigstudwithaguitar]

what a charming nerd!

[@Lintari]

BOOM! TETRIS FOR JEFF!!!

[@plainidiot7596]

NECK AND NECK

[@bridgetteneil]

plot twist: he did it with a quaid well

[@goose300183]

This really is a great piece of film-making. I came away from this (and the lunatic asylum one) feeling like I knew James a little bit, even though I've never met him. That's quite an amazing thing to achieve through these informal videos.

[@JGunlimited]

James is so chill! Love watching the vids he's in.

[@Charlotte-it5so]

5 years later and I still come back to watch this video when I want to be cheered up :)

[@SteveChisnall]

There's a version of Tetris that was on the Macintosh. It never got officially released but a very polished beta was leaked on the campus of Wesleyan University, so the name "Wesleyan Tetris" stuck. It is Tetris' evil twin. You should try it sometime. It's really odd though. It starts normally enough but then some oddly shaped blocks show up. And the "next piece" indicator lies just often enough to throw you but still stays honest enough of the time that you still NEED to pay attention to it. It gets even MORE sadistic from there. Blocks that you've already placed in previous turns will suddenly and randomly shift. "Need a line block? Here, have a DONUT block!"

[@Jivvi]

That sounds like it would be really frustrating. Where can I play it?

[@IainMcMullen93]

And here I am at midnight watching youtube videos mostly regarding math and numbers.

[@TaishaunHimself]

I thought that I was the only one.

[@fiona9891]

Iain McMullen Also, testing systems.

[@lidge1994]

And then they say games make you dumb or a loser, look at this guy!!

[@peter007crouch]

I don't think that the game made him smarter. But It probably did also not make him dumber, and thats already a good point :D

[@lidge1994]

yup, games either add to your dexterity, make you smarter or do any number of different things to improve your mind :D

[@Saturnia2014]

John Doe playing tetris actually has postive effects on the brain. It keeps your brain sharp.

[@1p2o3i]

James is a really great guy. I find it amazing that he speaks so openly about his manic depression and how it affected him, all the while being a self-confident and outgoing person that seems to really like himself and what he accomplished so far. All the best to him for his PhD and beyond! This was a great video/interview to watch!

[@littlemikey46]

"Hopefully by this time next year I'll be Dr Clewett" Almost! Just one year off the money. Still great to come back and watch this video so far into the future though. I love listening to people talking about their passion, no matter what it is.

[@larrycreature7292]

This guy needs to play NES Tetris and compete at the CTWC would love to to see my home country represented by this dude!

[@btxties3940]

Yeah, would love to see him but he wouldn't stand a chance :/

[@joebbiden5505]

Its a whole different game, classic needs either das or hypertap and i dont think he has the time for that

[@livingbymottos]

What an awesome guy James is! Great video

[@inthefade]

Let's crowdfund him a trip to get the Twin Galaxies record.

[@thatoneguy9582]

oh yeah that exists doesn’t it

[@lucidvegan7029]

BOOM Tetris for Jeff!

[@Immolatix]

the world needs more people like this, no shame, dedicated, real. props.

[@MusicBent]

3 years later, I love how this extended version of the interview had over 10X views compared to the one one 60 symbols. James is a hero. May he someday hold the world record.

[@SethHesio]

What a lovely guy!

[@chepaulyrey6839]

if he'd had a beard he probably would have broken the record

[@someperson9052]

What record?

[@darshshah79]

@@someperson9052 lol

[@andynz7]

What a fantastic video. Thank you for your candour, and your unabashed love for what you do!!

[@kiddor3]

The weirdest feeling after this interview was the feeling that this felt the best interview I have ever heard. Most entertaining interviews are full of jokes, losing the value and others are too serious and too deep, albeit being insightful. This felt just right... :)

[@slyshadic]

I have never thought of me being good at tetris! :|

[@nicokulmann8398]

the gap made by the j block in the background hurts me so much :(

[@valtteri4888]

ikr why tf didn't they just put it 180° the other way

[@Jivvi]

@@valtteri4888 then it would leave a different gap. Should have put it between the S and the T that's on top of the other S.

[@mameli0701]

Thank you for this short, yet wonderful insight into James's life as a Tetris addict! Much appreciated 😁

[@lichbanelb]

This is your best video Brady and I've watched pretty much all of them over the years.

[@markosimurina7628]

fascinating personality

[@rukh397]

Can he beat Jeff tho?

[@AidanK_]

Jeff Moore would wipe the floor with him

[@joebbiden5505]

Boom

[@zamdee]

This is one of the best videos from NU. Great guy, great video!

[@shugaroony]

What a great interview that was, very honest, fun and enligtening. Really enjoyed that.

[@esoteridactyl]

The one time Billy Mitchell actually helped someone.

[@djalphakay]

Wow, this is one awesome guy

[@CommanderdMtllca]

This is by far my favorite video on here!!

[@jewelsunlimited]

James, your honesty is amazing.

[@tadakatsuhonda3928]

BOOM! Tetris for Jeff

[@affalaffaa]

I smashed up my gameboy with a hammer because Tetris pissed me off so much. Those gameboys really were tough.

[@innerufomaker]

I consider this as one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. Somehow I loved watching every second of it even though I don’t care about Tetris.

[@pilover314159]

man, its absolutly awesome just sitting back and listening to this guys story. I love stories and this one was a treat

[@adelarscheidt]

"then I went away and had a brief spell doing computers in the porn industry which was really bizarre, everybody should do that for a year" me like WHAAAAAAA

[@j0nthegreat]

i want to know if he plays tetris in his dreams. i know when i get into a game like tetris for a little while my brain keeps playing it even when i'm asleep. has it been long enough that he's just over that?

[@meldb]

Hey! that's called "Tetris effect". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_effect

[@j0nthegreat]

awesome! i had no idea it had a name. i wonder if way back like .. blacksmiths had dreams of hammering iron or if this is a more modern effect.

[@thejohn86]

j0nthegreat Many Tetris addicts get the Tetris Effect where they hallucinate Tetris when they are awake.

[@meldb]

WARLOCKOFTHEUNDEAD That happens to me, it's so annoying because all the time i see tetrominoes falling down and sometimes it's hard to concentrate.

[@PickyMcCritical]

David Barraza That's bizarre. I build pallets for a grocery, and my coworkers have all compared fitting the boxes together like Tetris. I find my mind fitting cases together all even on days I didn't work...

[@HarryHumpo]

Sweet interview, loved it.

[@harryk3063]

This man keeps coming up in my recommended. I'm not at all disappointed.

[@boomelyh3llik]

lovely fella

[@osamah5230]

Tetris > GTA V + CoD Ghost + Battlefield 4

[@Johnden]

agreed

[@00bean00]

Your mom

[@SolidIncMedia]

That was a fascinating watch. Thanks for posting!

[@figgi0]

Excellent documentary Brady !

[@ihath]

Tetris is the best video game .... Ever!

[@nickzakos271]

Someone needs to get this man a TGM board.

[@justinpelkey6722]

An incredible story and a very unique individual. Stuff like this is captivating.

[@nathanielperigny1177]

This was surprisingly fascinating and engaging, good work guys.

[@clydehoho9240]

Do a new record! Just double it and you'll know you'll be in the books for a LOOOONG time! :D

[@ATee-vx6dm]

What is the name of his game?

[@Draeco]

I'm glad I found and watched this video, you seem like a great and brilliant person Dr. Clewett!

[@mgregggphone]

very well spoken. Really awesome person. Thanks James. I wish you the best on your PHD that you are struggling to complete now. Keep stacking those blocks.

[@ssxyy]

I get 10 FPS on low settings with this game

[@mikskywalker]

+Ricky Roaster You may be playing on an oscilloscope.

[@ssxyy]

mikskywalker Is that even a thing xD

[@mikskywalker]

Ricky Roaster I've actually seen videos of people using them as monitors! Someone played doom through one which looked... interesting

[@ssxyy]

mikskywalker Wow

[@BlackIrishMoniz]

I once played tetris for over 60+ hours straight, resulting in over 2000 games played

[@NorthAyase]

So all your games were less than 2 minutes?

[@Isaac_Noob]

Wierd flex but ok

[@MrPeterPay]

Thank you for sharing your story. It truly inspired me. I definitely want to hear more about James!

[@signalamplifier]

wish he was my stat physics lecturer. such an awesome lad.

[@1337strvids]

I'm not sure how I got here from kangaroo fighting videos.....

[@adriangarro8729]

Me too!

[@BenNCM]

Why is he playing such a shit version of Tetris?

[@marioisawesome8218]

Ben NCM All versions of tetris are 99% the same.

[@dadangsudadang5963]

_x_Mario_x_YT nope. Different rotation systems, leveling rules, tetriminos' colors, next pieces, etc. Obvious one is modern tetris vs classic tetris. There's quite a noticeable amount of under the hood differences that actually makes a difference.

[@marioisawesome8218]

whatifallpotsinzeldaarecuccos Chill bro. It was an exaggeration.

[@dadangsudadang5963]

_x_Mario_x_YT But I was chill.

[@marioisawesome8218]

whatifallpotsinzeldaarecuccos I'm talking about chill with the statistics

[@mikeydflyingtoaster]

There's something incredibly beautiful about this video and James's story.

[@drummyfish]

This guy is so interesting and inspiring. A huge admiration.

[@Saruman1000]

Definitely go and beat that record officially man! Awesome video

[@Zerepzerreitug]

This was great :) excellent video Brady. And best of lucks James!

[@brostver]

Thanks a lot for this "confession". It's inspired me a lot! Even it's old video if James would see it. Big thanks and I sending salute. His example of how to just start doing what you like even from the scratch would it be Physics degree or Tetris. I myself in the beginning of such journey. Took part time job and most of my money and all my free time spends with teachers to attend Maritime University and become Maritime Engineer one day. Thanks a lot!

[@paulus_germanus]

this is probably one of the best videos you've made Brady, and certainly the most interesting person you've ever interviewed here on youtube, a massive thumb up, and greetings from poland

[@zairoxs]

This guy is really inspiring. Half of what he said applies to my personal life. Amazing.

[@Maldito011316]

AWESOME video! :D Enjoyed it a lot! Thanks so much!

[@fweeps]

Great film! Very inspiring bio and stories... This James dude is LEGIT!

[@Fean9rz]

this is the best video you made Brady

[@TheDailyChatter]

He seems like a really cool guy. It's really interesting and at the same time kind of good to see people that find success in life to be of intellectual and academical nature.

[@AlkisGD]

Thank you for making this video Brady! I loved every second of it! James' story was fascinating! ^_^

[@MrMkx007]

Fantastic video!! Technically the Prince of Tetris!!

[@fpsColton]

Love the video, I can imagine the disappointment James felt at 10:45. Really enjoy listening to what James has to say, keep up the good work.

[@jonnyhifi]

what a wonderful video.. I dont play computer games at all, but he leaves me with such a feel good factor, of someone who just enjoys tetris: and is obviously completely self aware. Terrific ! I thought very heartening his comment right at the end about it being the perfect computer game with no violence.. as a reflecltion on his genuinly gentle character. the world needs more people like him !

[@sanyamjaincs1]

That tie when he says : Everybody should do that once"

[@aliruane]

I really enjoyed that mate. Glad to see things haven't changed ;-)

[@EmdrGreg]

Honest and fearless about the jobs you've had-- a Tetris champ, honest about your personality and vulnerability, and a PhD in physics. Your IQ must be off the charts. You're a wonderful person. Way to go.

[@TheThirdGerman]

Videos featuring James are hands down the best ones, haha.

[@funsterkeyven]

He seems like a really nice and humble guy. Good stuff.

[@sempiedram]

This guy is great! Great video! Very inspiring.

[@TheClassyCoconut]

I have now started playing Tetris again after 4 long years, Thank you James

[@Hiwired96]

Really nice guy in my perspective, way to go!

[@travistdwp]

This was surprisingly inspiring.

[@GabeWeymouth]

This is a really nice little film.

[@Daedalus-ed5nd]

Love the computer in the background. 1995 was a good year.

[@asuicidemachine]

Great piece!

[@UzzyT.]

Great video.

[@brandonhuston6350]

Great video. I find the music the most addicting part. Just zen out and go.

[@elhugo13]

amazing video !!!

[@MrFernet07]

The first three minutes have a comedial twist to them, but the rest is just pure destilled inspiration.

[@JulesColour]

We need to get him back and see what he thinks of Tetris effect

[@lorasavin4327]

Fascinating and inspiring story :) I always play tetris when I need to think!

[@Hedning1390]

I've played a tetris variant called quadra where pieces and broken parts of pieces would fall down if they had nothing under them. To score you want to build it with holes, not just 4 at one side, so that your last piece release a long chain of lines completing. You get more points for more lines (obviouly) but also for the number of steps in the chain. I liked it because it's more than just building 4 lines in a row, because of its high speed, and because of its multiplayer mode.

[@TheRealBibwitHarte]

You're just so awesome. Really. Just so awesome.

[@HawkOfGP]

I totally know what he's talking about. Tetris has that something where you could play it day after day for years and still find ways to get better, and that's very addicting.

[@constructivist6]

This is some real talk, thanks James.

[@yuzuruizumieggy]

I remember seeing this when I was 8 (2012) and got a big interest to Tetris, especially the Atari version that he played. I didn't have any copies of Atari Tetris back in the day and only had Sega Tetris, but now I have almost all versions of joystick based Tetris in an emulator. Thanks to him, I've now become a Tetris professional, but not a grand master: though if I had the skills in his era, I would be considered slightly better than him.