'Tis the season. The season to go shopping in crowded stores. The season to face off with road ragers trying to get coveted parking spaces near the door. The season to wrap gifts, and then re-wrap them because you messed up the first time. And yes, 'tis the season to jam all those presents into the back of an SUV and hope they fit.
Admittedly, we're being a bit scroogy. But there's a reason. Along with all the joys of the holidays, there will always be moments of frustration. Injecting a bit of real-life video game fun can lighten the mood, and while driving your gift-laden SUV in a manner befitting a Forza Horizon race sounds fun, utilizing some Tetris skills for maximum load efficiency is a safer way to mix holidays and games.
That's exactly what pro gamer Dan Weller did. He's the winner of the UK National Tetris Championship for 2022, so presumably, he knows a thing or two about packing squarish puzzle pieces into a finite space. Instead of a two-dimensional screen, he's using the back of a 2023 Honda CR-V. Judging by the photo at the top of this article, he knows his stuff. And he shares some of that stuff with us.
"The biggest tip I can offer is to always, always have a plan," he said in a statement from Honda. "With a blank canvas, you can do almost anything – but this also means that things can go horribly wrong, and so you need to be able to start off strong. Make sure you have a good idea of which items should go in the boot and which items should go into the backseat. If you visualize these as two separate spaces and take it one block at a time, you can’t go too far wrong."
Beyond that, Weller recommends starting with the heaviest items, and disassembling pieces if possible to create easier-to-handle bits. This can also mean placing those smaller pieces into a nice, neat, larger square box that fits perfectly into a space. And he always recommends leaving the delicate items for last.
“You can also use flexible, softer items to line your car and cushion your valuables," he said. "Like an S piece, they can fit into gaps that otherwise would remain empty and will reduce the likelihood of damage when you’re on the road.”
Wherever your travels take you this holiday, stay safe.
