Other versions of this game:  Plinx

Play Online Linx

Linx is one of those games that looks almost too simple at first glance—just a grid and a stack of funky little tiles covered in colored lines—but the second you start laying pieces down, you realize there’s a world of cunning waiting beneath the surface. You set up a six-by-six grid, everyone picks a color, and then you draw tiles one by one from a face-down pile. Each square tile shows four colored pathways that snake between its edges, and when you drop it onto the board, any path that now reaches the outside border scores a point for its matching color. Easy, right? Well, until you notice you’re just as likely to help your opponents as yourself.

On each turn you’re basically juggling two tasks: placing a tile where it boosts your color while trying not to give someone else a free score, and scanning the whole grid for the spot that might trigger a surprising cascade. It’s a neat tension—your move might cut off your rival’s plans, or it might accidentally dash lines right out of the grid so they get free points. The game ends when the board is full or someone hits the target score, and it’s wild how every single tile placement can feel like a tiny battle of wits.

What I love most is how quick a game of Linx plays once everyone gets the hang of it. You can be at the table and through three or four rounds in under an hour, and in that time you’ll see big upsets, sneaky defensive plays, and last-minute tile snatches. There’s no heavy rulebook or a dozen phases to remember—just a pile of tiles, a handful of choices, and that satisfying click when you place something that locks your opponent out of their planned line.

It’s perfect for folks who enjoy classic abstract strategy but don’t want the intimidation factor of, say, a deep wargame. Kids get it fast, seasoned gamers appreciate the mind games, and it even works as a solo puzzle challenge if you fancy trying to break your own high score. Linx manages to be breezy, portable, and just tricky enough to keep everyone leaning in for “one more round.”