Kirpich - Tetris PC Port

About

Kirpich is a native reimplementation of Tetris for the Game Boy (DMG) that runs as ordinary desktop software on Windows, macOS and Linux. Built on the Polyrhythm engine, it reproduces the original cartridge's observable behavior without emulating the hardware and without translating the assembly. Only the piece randomizer and the sound driver run the original machine code, on an emulated CPU and audio unit inside the engine. It is licensed under the GNU AGPL v3.

How it differs from the original

Adds a third game type called C-Type (off by default), eighty color palettes, an optional ghost piece, statistics, thirty-six achievements and rebindable controls. The original's quirks are kept on purpose, with optional fixes offered in settings.

Getting started

Download the build for your platform from the latest release. On first launch it asks for a Tetris ROM and extracts the graphics and sound from it, after which later launches start directly. The README says the ROM must be one the player legitimately owns.

Known issues & limitations

• A shader reproducing the original LCD's tint, ghosting, and dot grid is on the roadmap.

What you need to run it

Features

• The complete single-player game includes A-Type, B-Type, menus, pause, game over, scoreboards, and the high-difficulty B-Type ending.
• C-Type is a marathon mode over a rising floor and is off by default.
• The game uses the cartridge's original sound driver to produce music and sound effects.
• You can choose from eighty palettes in-game with a live preview.
• An optional ghost piece shows where the falling piece will land; it is disabled by default.
• Qualifying rounds are ranked and named, and high scores persist between launches.
• There are thirty-six achievements across nine themed sections, including hidden endings and mode challenges.
• When left idle, the title screen alternates between the cartridge's two demonstration rounds.

Controls

• You can rebind each of the Game Boy's eight buttons to a keyboard key and controller button in-game.

Media

Status & roadmap

• Planned items are two-player support and a DMG display shader.

Additional notes

No copyrighted content

Kirpich distributes no ROM data or extracted assets; they are extracted locally into the player's own user directory.

FAQ

What is Kirpich - Tetris PC Port?

Kirpich - Tetris PC Port is an open-source engine reimplementation of Tetris (Game Boy). A new engine written from scratch that loads the original game's data files. The original game ran on Game Boy.

Do I need the original game files to run Kirpich - Tetris PC Port?

Yes. The project does not include the original game's assets, so you need your own copy.

How is Kirpich - Tetris PC Port licensed?

project: GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (Kirpich); project: PolyForm Noncommercial (Polyrhythm engine). The repository itself is the authoritative source.