What was the first video game played in space?

It’s wild to think that we sent people into space before video games were really a thing. Surely it would be easier to make a simple arcade game before engineering a massive rocket to break through the atmosphere, right? At least those astronauts would have something to do while they’re up there, but what was the first game played among the stars?

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The answer is: "Tetris"

Alexander Serebrov was a Soviet cosmonaut who was a rising star (no pun intended) in the world of space travel. By his fourth trip in 1993, I imagine the thrill was fading and space was basically just an office with a great view. But it's only fitting that on these technologically advanced spaceships Serebrov brought the latest and greatest in gaming, "Tetris" on a Game Boy.

His first trip to space came in 1982 during the Soyuz T-7 mission. Over the course of the ‘80s and '90s he would set the a record for most spacewalks (10), although it would be broken by Anatoly Solovyev a few years later.

Serebrov's fourth and final trip in 1993 would also be his longest. At 196 days, he would pass the time on his Game Boy dropping blocks and creating lines. With that much time on his hands, he probably got really, really good at the time. Unless he forgot to pack extra batteries.

After a successful mission and returning back home, Serebrov would retire and eventually auction off the now famous Game Boy and “Tetris” cartridge alongside a note expressing that “During flight, in rare minutes of leisure, I enjoyed playing Game Boy.”