Square Platforming

The New Tetris, Square mode of Tetris Worlds, and Lockjaw: The Overdose reward the player for creating 4x4 block squares out of four tetrominoes. Building wide platforms (flat top sides) into the top of a square in progress allows more than one such square to be built at once, keeping options open for handling any tetromino.

The New Tetris was developed prior to the standardization of tetromino colors. The diagrams below, like most other diagrams in Tetriswiki, use Tetris Worlds colors per the more recent Tetris Guideline.

Spiral J monosquare
It is best to build J and L monosquares using this spiral method so that platform width is maximised as early as possible.

L on the left and J on the right require a double slide (see below).

T monosquare
Building a T monosquare quickly If three T pieces are readily available and there is only a platform one block wide upon which to build, it is wise to build in a slightly different way:

2&times;4 constructions
If two of the same 2&times;4 constructions are put together, monosquares are formed. Alternatively, two different 2&times;4s can be put together (or one sandwiched between two I pieces) to make multisquares in addition to those below.

Multisquares
Most of these multisquares can be constructed in different rotations, with the pieces being added in different orders or with an I piece on the opposite side. The following are some of the most efficient ways of building them.

ZLLZ and SJJS
This is possible in The New Tetris but relies on uncommon wall kicks. In the case of ZLLZ, the trick is to have the Z in the correct rotation and take it down so that the bottom square is resting on the top square of the lower L, then rotate clockwise and then anticlockwise in quick succession. This is reversed for SJJS. The space immediately above the inner edge of the construction (indicated) must be free for the move to be successful.

TTLZ and TTJS
This requires the same move as for the ZLLZ and SJJS multisquares, and is good to fall back on in the middle of building a T monosquare.

TTLI and TTJI
Similarly to TTLZ and TTJS, good to fall back on when a T monosquare is abandoned.

LJSI and JLZI
To test: is this possible?

LSIL and JZIJ
Requiring double slide (or tactical rotation) With I before S or Z (triple slide or tactical rotation in addition to the moves above):

IJLO and ILJO
As with many of these multisquares, the I can be on the other side and added last if the other pieces are all available already.

Double slide
In some cases a piece must be moved sideways two or more spaces before dropping at all. The New Tetris's smooth tetromino falling animation often means this can't be done – pieces can't be moved to sit on a ledge too far under an overhang. There are methods to get around this: tactical rotation.