Play Hatris Online

Hatris came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990, developed by Bullet-Proof Software. It was part of that wave of quirky puzzle games that followed Tetris, trying to capture that same compulsive, falling-block magic but with a distinctly weird twist. It didn't have the massive cultural footprint of its inspiration, but it carved out a small, memorable niche for itself on the console.

You control two disembodied hands at the bottom of the screen, catching an endless parade of falling hats. The goal is to stack identical hats on top of each other, making them disappear. The main mechanics involve quickly rotating the hats as they fall to orient their brims and then strategically placing them to create vertical or horizontal lines of five matching types. The helpers, little characters who pop up and sometimes assist or hinder you, add a layer of unpredictable chaos. The pace is relentless, quickly becoming a frantic juggling act of shapes and colors. It feels like trying to organize a closet during an earthquake.