Trax is a very easy game to learn but just as difficult to master. It is a game for two players where the goal is to make a loop or a line of your own color. The first player is white and the second, black. (MSGZ hint: you are the same color as your text in the chat window.) Read on to learn the basic rules of Trax!

Note: Trax Rules are Copyright © 2000, David Smith, Ohoka, New Zealand and used here with his permission.

Game objective

You should do either of the following:
1. Make a loop. A loop can look like any of the three examples below!

2. Make a line. A line must go all the way from left to right (or top to bottom) and must be at least 8 tiles wide (high). Below is an example of a line!

Game rules

1. Players place tiles in turn adjacent to already placed tiles. (MSGZ hint: In the Trax software used for playing on the Internet, you choose the tile to play with left button, and play it with right button.) The tiles you can choose from is a straight one, or a curved one (see picture below!)
2. If two ends of the same color meet on an empty space, they will be joined with a new tile. This is called a forced play. This is the rule that makes trax interesting and difficult. (MSGZ hint: The Trax software used for playing on the Internet will make forced plays automatically. This may be confusing at first.) In the examples below, if the bright tile is placed, the dim (even brighter) tiles will be forced (try to understand why before you continue!).
3. If a player makes a move so that both players get a loop (or line), the player who made the move wins.

Starting hints

1. An attack may look like any of the following examples. If you don't stop an attack, your opponent can win next turn. In the situations shown below, playing the move shown in bright will form a loop and thus giving the player making it a win (using rule 2 from above).

2. Every time you attack, you decrease your attacking potential. Advanced players usually do not attack unless they see a win.

Playing at the Zone!

Much of the fun in Trax is that it is playable over the internet as well. Every night (American night), there are usually a few of the experienced players in the Trax room (http://www.zone.com/trax).

Also, most advanced players will be willing to play and teach a newcomer to the zone. (MSGZ hint: Some of the players that teach are Robiteebob, McVerne, PuppetMan_1, HappyMutant42, call_me_17, Mark4131, _Brandon_L_, !Carole_Plante and myself, cjr2000. Any of them/us who is not in the middle of a game would probably be more than willing to teach if you asked.) As long as the new players who come like playing, it is usually fun to teach too!