How playing Tetris can yield unexpected health benefits

It turns out that Tetris can do more than hone your skill of fitting things into tight spots.

A new study reports that playing the video game for just three minutes a day can reduce craving for vices like drugs, alcohol, sex and food.

Scientists think the findings can be used to help people control their cravings, particularly for harder substances.

“This is the first demonstration that cognitive interference can be used outside the lab to reduce cravings for substances and activities other than eating,” said Jackie Andrade, a professor at Plymouth University’s School of Psychology in a statement. “We think the Tetris effect happens because craving involves imagining the experience of consuming a particular substance or indulging in a particular activity. Playing a visually interesting game like Tetris occupies the mental processes that support that imagery.”

The joint study from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology sent text messages to 31 participants aged 18-27, seven times a day. In the texts, participants were asked if they were experiencing any cravings. Thirty percent of them reported at least one craving or another, for things such as coffee, cigarettes, wine, beer, or sex. Around half of the participants were consumed by the game for three minutes before responding with their desires, which were reduced.

“Playing Tetris decreased craving strength for drugs, food, and activities from 70 percent to 56 percent,” said Andrade.

The study also found that the effects of playing the game didn’t peter off over time. Participants ended up playing the game 40 times a week, and by the week’s end, it still had reduced their cravings.

The findings have been published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.