Games - Tantrix

	Games - Tantrix

Tantrix is a hexagonal tile strategy game invented by Mike McManaway from New Zealand. Each of the 56 different Bakelite tiles in the set contains three lines, going from one edge of the tile to another. No two lines on a tile have the same colour. There are four colours in the set: red, yellow, blue, and green. No two tiles are identical, and each is individually numbered from 1 through 56.

How to play

In the multiplayer version of the game, each player chooses a colour, so you have between 2 and 4 players. Each draws 1 tile from the bag, and the person who draws the highest number goes first.

Each player then takes six tiles from the bag, and places them face up in front of them. The first person plays one tile, usually with their colour on it. Play then rotates clockwise. After playing a tile, each player takes a replacement tile from the bag, so that they always have six in front of them. Tiles played must match the colour of the edges adjoining it.

When three tiles surround an empty space, so that it is effectively half covered, this is called a forced space. If the person whose turn it is has a tile that fills that space, then they must play it. They repeat this process until there is no more forced spaces that they can fill; at which stage, they make a free move, where they can play any tile, as long as they don't breach the three restriction rules, which will be covered soon. Once they have had a free move, they must then fill any more forced spaces that they can.

The three restriction rules are: #You cannot create a forced space with the same colour leading into it three times #You cannot create a four sided forced space #You cannot play along an edge that, when forced spaces are filled, will create a four sided forced space.

Once there are no tiles left in the bag, the three restriction rules do not apply.

The aim of the game is to get the longest line or loop in your colour. Each tile in a line counts as one point, and in a loop is two points. Only the highest scoring line or loop counts.

Tantrix history

The first version of Tantrix was created by Mike McManaway in 1987 and was called "Mind Game". It used 56 cardboard pieces with only two coloured lines — red and black. Owning a games shop, he sold the game and used customer feedback to improve the design. In 1991, the changed to plastic and then Bakelite tiles and added two more colours. This allowed for up to four players.

The tiles were hand-painted, featuring different colours to those now used, even pink. The early form of the game featured 8 "Triple Intersections", but these were found to slow the game play. They would only fit into three different forced spaces. In 1992, the Triple Intersections were removed from the game.

Along with the multi-player version of the game, McManaway created smaller solitare puzzles using 10 or 12 tiles that required the player to put the tiles together to create loops of certain colours.

In 1996, the Playtantrix.com site was launched. It was a merger of the creator's own website and the InterNetivity's Tantrix applets, which allowed Tantrix to played in realtime online. The site was moved to Tantrix.com a year later when the domain became available.

Other forms Of Tantrix

10 Tile Discovery - Is the one player version, where players take on puzzles that take between 30 seconds and 45 minutes
Super 5 Puzzles - 5 Puzzles, ranked from Student through to Genius.
Tantrix Game Pack - Bag with all 56 tantrix tiles that allows players to play all forms of tantrix

Playing online

Although quiet and under-populated compared to the standards of Yahoo! Games and the like, playing Tantrix online has gained a dedicated following with many players from all over the world taking part in matches at any one time, both against each other or against computer robots. Players are rated in a system that gains a player points for winning (and subsequently losing points for losing), the highest score possible being 1000, and the aim of players is to get as close to that as possible. The goal of a regular Lobby player is to reach the score of 950 which is difficult to reach, and once achieved can earn the player the title "Master". Masters can then play other ranked games, called master games, that have a different scoring system. Only a few players achieve master status — less than 50 each year.

Serious players of Tantrix (most of whom are still only playing for fun) take part in a number of structured tournaments each year. Although the winners only play for bragging rights, and in the major tournaments a small trophy to keep for a year, these events are taken very seriously, and are the ultimate challenge for tantracists.

Tantrix Tournaments begun in 1998, with the first tournament, the World Championship, which was not a structured tournament, but the prize awarded to the player who finished the year with the highest ranking. The next year structured tournaments begun.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Tantrix ]

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