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Comment by acomjean | Hacker News Reader

Nice job.

Maybe put the instructions you listed here on the site. I tried before reading the comments and got nowhere.

(Edit:I just noticed the instructions on the page bottom… move them up)

For me the symmetric pieces and the ability to just draw on any square on the grid to highlight it (even those that aren’t part of the shape you have to draw) was at first confusing (some Tetris pieces are symmetrical and you can’t flip)

it took some getting used too but it is oddly satisfying.

That’s my feed back. Well done.

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Hi acomjean!,

about your suggestions:

1. Instructions: You're absolutely right. I'll think of a way to make them more visible for new players. Great catch!

2. Flipping pieces (Mirroring): I have to respectfully disagree on this one. It would fundamentally change the essence of the game, which is exactly about making that small mental effort to rotate the piece in your mind before placing it. I believe it's better as it is now.

3. Drawing pieces: Limiting the selection so you can't highlight a square that isn't part of the piece you're drawing is a fantastic idea. I'll look into how to implement that.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions!

I know it would be a significant game balance change, but I think maybe you should be able to flip the pieces.

Ummm, that change (if you mean being able to flip the pieces as if looking in a mirror) would fundamentally change the essence of the game. It would prevent players from developing the visual ability to mentally rotate and imagine the piece. I believe it would break the core dynamic and the spirit of the game, but I appreciate your feedback nonetheless.

> It would prevent players from developing the visual ability to mentally rotate and imagine the piece.

To me, this was the least fun part. Since there’s no penalty for entering squares incorrectly, I just tried the shape, and if it wasn’t accepted, I figured “oops, I must have flipped it.”

But I agree it would be a major change. If you ever share the source code, I would want to try doing this myself for my own use, to see what it feels like.

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