Clearing out my cupboard I found a Tetris MicroCard. This credit card sized console was produced by Arduboy and officially licensed by Tetris. When released in 2017 the price of this device was £60. The device measures 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.5cm, the purple PCB is encased by a clear polycarbonate shell at the front and an aluminium back. Tetris is played on a vertically orientated, 1 Bit OLED Display (128x64px). The device runs off an 8‐Bit Microcontroller (ATmega 328P) and is powered by a 180mAh Lithium Polymer battery, charged via microUSB. There is also an inbuilt Piezo Speaker with Mute Switch.

Playing Tetris

Game play on this device is great. The landscape orientation of the device paired with a vertical screen is the perfect combination for Tetris. There are no distractions from gameplay. The set of physical buttons allow for rotation, directional control and hard/soft drops. The buttons are tactile with click-y feedback. The black and white screen shows the score, next Tetrimino in the queue and an outline of where the current Tetrimino will land. There is no ability to pause or hold a Tetrimino. The device claims a 6 hour battery life. I’ve found the battery lasts just over an hour, possibly due to degradation from long-term storage.

The downsides of this device include the small power and sound switches which require digging for with your nail. I would have preferred a wider switch or push button for ease of use. Another issue is scratches! The plastic shell scratches and has barely any resistance. With general use light scratches quickly appear. I would be worried to carry this in my pocket without a cover. Luckily just like acrylic watches the majority can be buffed out with micro abrasive cleaning fluid, however in a £60 console it is quite disappointing. Speaking about the shell, the 4 main screw holes also have cracks around them, this appears to be from manufacturing, possibly due to a mismatch between the injection moulded threads and screw sizes. Luckily these defects do not affect the device’s functionality, just overall aesthetics.

Summing up

This little device is one of pure joy. It has a simple interface, and allows you to focus on a good game of Tetris without distractions. Its thin design means it can be slipped into your pocket for quick games on the go, however a protective cover is needed due to the easily scratched shell.