https://www.polygon.com/2019/2/14/18225066/tetris-99-nintendo-switch

The core gameplay of Tetris is designed to be nail-biting. While the formula has had a few shake ups since then, little work has ever been needed to make the easy-to-learn, impossible-to-master game any more challenging. The surprise release this week of Tetris 99, a battle royale-esque version of the game now on Nintendo Switch, goes to show that Tetris can indeed be made more intense. The game’s developer, Arika, does this not by ramping up the speed, but by pitting you against 98 other players looking to knock you out.

The execution is straightforward: It’s competitive Tetris, but instead of one-on-one battles, Tetris 99 is a 99-player free-for-all. As I clear lines, I can send garbage blocks over to one of my many opponents, filling their board up with extra lines they need to clear. If too many blocks flood a player’s screen, they are knocked out of the game. True to the battle royale genre, this game of knockout happens until one player is left standing.