Tetris: The Grand Master: 3 Open Source Clones Compared
Pandora's Blocks is a Game Boy assembly implementation whose grading system is inspired by, but doesn't exactly mimic, the TGM series — its scoring is a hybrid of TGM1 and TGM2, with added options like a slower 'CHILL' speed curve. shiromino goes further from a straight TGM clone by adding pentomino pieces alongside the standard tetrominoes, a mechanic not present in the TGM games at all.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Game Boy, Web
- Play in browser
- YesPlay in Browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Sporadic
- Last updated
- 7mo ago
- Stars
- 114
- Contributors
- 4
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoThe game is an original Game Boy assembly implementation with its own assets, not requiring original game data.
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 1y ago
- Stars
- 52
- Contributors
- 12
- License
- —
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoThis is an original free and open-source puzzle game with tetrominoes and pentominoes, not dependent on external assets.
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- GBA, Windows, Linux, OSX, Switch, 3DS
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Not tracked
- Last updated
- Not tracked
- Stars
- Not tracked
- Contributors
- Not tracked
- License
- Not tracked
- Engine
- Not tracked
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
| Title | Pandora's Blocks | shiromino | Apotris |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Game Boy, Web | Windows, Linux | GBA, Windows, Linux, OSX, Switch, 3DS |
| Play in browser | YesPlay in Browser | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No | No |
| Project health | |||
| Development status | Sporadic | Halted | Not tracked |
| Last updated | 7mo ago | 1y ago | Not tracked |
| Stars | 114 | 52 | Not tracked |
| Contributors | 4 | 12 | Not tracked |
| License | GPL-3.0 | — | Not tracked |
| Engine | — | SDL2 | Not tracked |
| Compatibility | |||
| Requires original assets | NoThe game is an original Game Boy assembly implementation with its own assets, not requiring original game data. | NoThis is an original free and open-source puzzle game with tetrominoes and pentominoes, not dependent on external assets. | — |
| Preview | | | |
Known limitations
- platform: Do not attempt to run on older emulators such as VBA; this game uses semi-randomness of initial Game Boy memory as RNG entropy.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Tetris: The Grand Master clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Tetris: The Grand Master clones use?
Pandora's Blocks (GPL-3.0).
Do I need to own the original Tetris: The Grand Master to play these clones?
Pandora's Blocks and shiromino run standalone, no original files needed.
Can I play any of these Tetris: The Grand Master clones directly in a browser?
Yes — Pandora's Blocks has a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Tetris: The Grand Master.