Trax, by David Smith (1982)

Trax is an elegant and original strategy game.  There are Trax organizations (particularly in New Zealand, where David Smith invented it), which sponsor annual Trax tournaments.  On the Internet there are e-mail tournaments on the outstanding Richard’s PBeM server, and Trax has been included in the Microsoft Gaming Zone.  You can find out a lot more about the game from the Trax website maintained by Donald Bailey, the current World Champion.  There you can also buy equipment for about US $15.

The only contribution I can make to the Trax literature is a photo of my own Trax set, handmade from one-inch square white ceramic tiles, marked with red and black model paint.  I prefer this over the standard color scheme for Trax, which is white and black stripes on red tiles.  But if you agree, you’ll also have to make your own, and it will only be worth it if you REALLY like making your own games, and/or you REALLY want the red-on-white color scheme.  In May 2000 I decided to check out the “official” tiles, and they really are nicer -- lighter, with a smooth feel -- nicer in every way except the white-on-red colors, which I can’t convince David Smith to adopt.  But he invented a great game, destined to be a classic, so he’s entitled to his opinions.

Here are the rules, very briefly summarized and adapted for my color scheme:  Two players (Black and Red) alternately place square tiles, each of which is marked with black and red lines that connect two of the tile’s edges.  Tiles must be played adjacent to at least one tile already down, and the red and black paths must match.  The lines on any tile either connect opposite edges or adjacent edges, as shown.  (The two possibilities are marked on opposite sides of a Trax tile.)  If the tile being placed determines which kind of tile can be placed in adjacent positions, those tiles are immediately placed as well, and so on.  The object is either to complete a loop of your color, or to form a line from one edge of the playing space to the other, when the playing space is at least eight squares wide.  Again, you can find a lot more Trax information and resources on the Trax website.

The Trax position shown above is taken from Trax Strategy for Beginners, by Donald Bailey.

Questions, corrections, comments:  Send me e-mail at  markthom@flash.net