Game: Tantrix

Thread: Re: Tantrix Puzzles

linael — 2008-08-20T05:42:50+00:00

If you select the right pieces from the 56 tile game, you can even construct the Tantrix Xtreme puzzles.

You can read my post on this subject here.

Thread: Re: Tantrix products - a guide to the different game sets

russ — 2008-08-18T05:07:51+00:00

Dunhill_BKK wrote:
I'd say the Game Pack is the way to go. It's a nice bag with all the tiles you could ever need. It also has the rule book. The bag keeps all this rather well and is great for travelling.
Indeed; we've taken it on several trips, and taught it (even to non-gamers) successfully.

As a bonus it's one of the few games to originate from our friends in New Zealand.
Trax is another game from New Zealand with nice clacky bakelite tiles in a sturdy zippered carrying pouch! More strategic (no luck) and strictly 2 player. Trax and Tantrix often seem superficially similar to people, but the games are rather different, even though both involve making loops with the lines on the tiles!

Thread: Re: Tantrix products - a guide to the different game sets

Dunhill_BKK — 2008-08-18T04:37:01+00:00

I'd say the Game Pack is the way to go. It's a nice bag with all the tiles you could ever need. It also has the rule book. The bag keeps all this rather well and is great for travelling. I highly recommend it for air travel. Largish numbers of tiles fit perfectly in the tray table. You can spend hours trying to sort out the various levels of the puzzles.

I've not played the two-person version ever, except online with a computer and that didn't go so well. I think it has potential, I've just no had the opportunity.

As a bonus it's one of the few games to originate from our friends in New Zealand.

Thread: Re: Tantrix products - a guide to the different game sets

tickwang — 2008-08-18T01:32:09+00:00

great post. I own game pack,discovery set, extreme set, solitaire set and previous game pack version. And i am going to purchase travel edition. Thanks.

Thread: Re: Tantrix products - a guide to the different game sets

russ — 2008-08-17T21:08:16+00:00

In addition to those you mentioned, I was recently surprised to see a small "pocket" version of Tantrix in an Amsterdam store recently. It was cute and tempting!

http://tantrix.com/english/TantrixProducts.html has a list of all the products.

I see they also have a magnetic version listed! Could be fun for a multi-day game played on the fridge or something.

Thread: Tantrix products - a guide to the different game sets

linael — 2008-08-17T19:32:37+00:00

As you can somehow deduce from the (short) game description on the game's page here on Boardgamegeek, Tantrix is actually a product range.

Different sets available, so here is an overview of available sets, to help you make your choice.

Tantrix Discovery sets

- 10 numbered and colour-coded tiles with three link colours (blue, red, yellow).
- Rules for the ten classic "Discovery" puzzles, ranging in difficulty from a simple puzzle with three tiles to three very challenging puzzles with all ten tiles.
- Tiles are available in different background colours: classic black, fun marbled green or stylish marbled white.
- Sets are available in Mesh Bags, Pine Stands or Chrome Stands.

Previous editions
- Sets used to be available in Cardboard boxes under the name "Crazy Tantrix". There were 6 background colours to choose from: black, blue, yellow, pink, green or red.
- A series of 5 sets has been published under the name "Crazy Tantrix Discovery - Super 5 Level" : 1. Junior, 2. Student, 3. Professor, 4. Master, 5. Genius. These sets included different tiles. The rules for these sets are now included in the Game Pack rulebook.

Tantrix Xtreme

- 10 numbered tiles on black background with four link colours (Pink, White, blue, green).
- Rules for ten puzzles, ranging in difficulty from a simple puzzle with three tiles to three very challenging puzzles with all ten tiles.
- Puzzles are more challenging, as the tiles have four link colours (Discovery puzzles only use three link colours) and have no colour clue on the back to help you solve the loop puzzles.

Tantrix Solitaire

- 14 numbered and colour-coded tiles with black background.
- Rules include the classic "Discovery" puzzle rules (but you run up to 14 tiles) as well as the 2 "Solitaire" puzzle rules.
- Four different editions are available, each with their own three-colour combination of links (red-blue-yellow, red-blue-green, red-yellow-green, blue-yellow-green).
- Sets are available in Chrome Stands only.

Tantrix Game Pack

- 56 numbered and colour-coded tiles on black background with four link colours (red, green, yellow, blue).
- A zippered travel bag made of nylon.
- Rules for 28 Discovery puzzles, 5 Rainbow puzzles, The Classics: Junior, Student, Professor, Master and Genius puzzles, The "Two Unsolved Puzzles", Tantrix Solitaire and the game of Tantrix Strategy for 2-4 players.
- The Game Pack is also available as travel edition (Pocket Tantrix with small tiles), a magnetic edition (play on the fridge ), a school edition (28 tiles only, but larger), and a Beach edition (56 very large tiles).

Previous Editions
- The "Classic" set included all 56 tiles and rules, but the tiles were not numbered on the back.
- The first edition of Tantrix was called Mind Game and included 56 cardboard tiles on yellow background with only two link colours: red and black.

Tantrix Match
- 13 (!) tiles and 12 cardboard "puzzle cards".
- Two additional 12 card packs are available, offering new challenges.
- This actually is a different game altogether. The puzzles cards have a few of the tiles printed upon, and you have to place the remaining Tantrix tiles to "solve" the puzzle (match link colours, etc.).

Combining sets
Combining Discovery sets:
- You can combine multiple discovery sets with each other, regardless of background tile colour. As sets are only available with the same three link colours, combining sets give you the same tiles over and over again and only makes the puzzle larger, thus harder to solve. The colour clue on the back of the tiles still shows you the colour of loop to go for. Example: tile 1 of the second set (i.e. tile 11) will have a yellow background, so yellow is the loop to go for.
- You could combine a Discovery set with a Solitaire set, if you choose the set with the same link colours. You would end up with 24 tiles, which makes it odd to play though.
- You could combine a Discovery set (blue, red, yellow) with a Solitaire set that has different colour links. Using only part of the tiles, this would allow you to play by the Xtreme rules (4 colour links puzzles).
- You could also combine Discovery sets with the Game Pack, again the end result would only be a higher number of tiles you can use for larger "Discovery" puzzle variations.

Combining Xtreme sets:
- You can combine multiple Xtreme sets, just to make larger puzzles to solve.
- The colours used on the Xtreme tiles are different from all other sets. So you can't combine Xtreme sets with other sets from the Tantrix range (Discovery, Solitaire or Game Pack).

Combining Solitaire sets:
- Solitaire sets come in four flavours. Combining all four editions together creates a full 56 tile set of Tantrix (called "Deluxe" in this case) needed to play the multiplayer game. So you end up with the Game Pack set, without the travel bag, but with four Chrome stands.
- Solitaire sets could be combine with Discovery sets, see above.
- You could combine a solitaire set with the Game pack, just to solve larger Discovery Puzzles...

Combining Game Pack sets:
- Combining multiple Game Packs might make sense if you want to solve huge Discovery puzzles. But hey, solving loop puzzles with 112 tiles ! Are you nuts ?
- Again, the Game Pack could be combined with Discovery or solitaire sets.

Which one do I choose?
- The Discovery set is the cheapest. But it also has limited game variations as it has only 10 out of the 14 possible tiles. Combining sets only gives you the same puzzles, yet larger.
- The Xtreme set gives you the same as the Discovery set, yet it is more challenging. If you really don't want to expand the game pleasure with more puzzle variations, and only stick to buying additional sets to solve larger puzzles, go for this one!
- If you want the full puzzle variations and don't intend to play the multiplayer game, the Solitaire set is the one to go for. It has the many puzzle variations to choose from, has all 14 tiles of a given link colour combination and you can gradually expand the game by buying the other colours - eventually ending up with the same pieces as the Game Pack. So if you are unsure about this game, this is a safe choice to test play it.
- If you really intend to be able to solve all puzzles, go for the Game Pack. It has all 56 tiles (and a handy travel bag), but costs half the price of 4 combined solitaire sets. Consider the multiplayer game as an added bonus here.
- The Match range is a different story alltogether. I didn't find value for money there, especially as the "puzzles" are available for free download on the web.

Thread: Playing Tantrix Xtreme with the Game Pack pieces

linael — 2008-08-17T16:23:35+00:00

Similar to the Discovery puzzle, Tantrix Xtreme is a 10 piece pack but with loops in 4 colours (instead of three in the Discovery puzzle). This makes the puzzles more challenging.

Moreover, the Tantrix Xtreme tiles have no colour clue for the loops to be formed at each level of the puzzle.

You can either buy a Tantrix Xtreme Puzzle, which will give you 10 black tiles with loops coloured in blue, green, white and pink. But these coulours differe from the standard colours used in other Tantrix products (standard tiles use yellow, blue, red and green). So you can't combine them with other sets (Discovery or Solitaire sets).

Or, you can buy a full Tantrix Game Pack, which will give you 56 tiles, and use the following tiles from the Pack to play with the Xtreme rules:

(The numbers are those engraved on the back of each tile, numbers between brackets are those from the "Classic Set", an early version of Tantrix.)

To solve the Xtreme puzzles, the tiles from the Game Pack must be introduced in the following order:

The rules for Tantrix Xtreme are available on the official Tantrix website (http://www.tantrix.com).

Image

tickwang — 2008-08-07T04:09:56+00:00

extreme version

Image

tickwang — 2008-08-04T07:45:20+00:00

another side of tantrix hand painted bag

Image

tickwang — 2008-08-04T07:40:41+00:00

a hand painted bag

Image

wiewioora — 2008-07-05T08:56:09+00:00

Playing Tantrix at Pionek VII in Gliwice, Poland (June 7-8, 2008)

Image

tickwang — 2008-06-18T08:09:25+00:00

One copy of orignial Tantrix version

Image

Toynan — 2008-04-26T22:44:50+00:00

Three loops

Image

Toynan — 2008-04-26T22:40:49+00:00

Back of the box

Image

Toynan — 2008-04-26T22:36:02+00:00

Front of the box

Image

manolovila — 2007-12-05T13:32:57+00:00

Tantrix Pieces by Colors by Manolo Vila

Thread: Re: Trax or Tantrix ?

chaosbreaker — 2007-11-29T17:32:21+00:00

WillT wrote:
I own both, and enjoy both. Here's my quick comparison:

Trax = 2 players, pure strategy, 2-10 minutes, more competitve (chess-like) mentality

Tantrix = 2 to 4 players, "luck of the draw", 30 minutes, more friendly/cooperative mentality

When you consider the Tantrix puzzles that you can do alone or with a group, Tantix is way more entertaining. However, Trax is a great quick game for head-to-head competition.

I would agree, Trax plays like a 2-plyer abstract while Tantrix plays like a card game.

You can try both online:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/8323

Thread: Re: Trax or Tantrix ?

WillT — 2007-11-29T17:11:45+00:00

I own both, and enjoy both. Here's my quick comparison:

Trax = 2 players, pure strategy, 2-10 minutes, more competitve (chess-like) mentality

Tantrix = 2 to 4 players, "luck of the draw", 30 minutes, more friendly/cooperative mentality

When you consider the Tantrix puzzles that you can do alone or with a group, Tantix is way more entertaining. However, Trax is a great quick game for head-to-head competition.

Image

henk.rolleman — 2007-11-25T08:45:36+00:00

Tantrix 2007.nl Spellenspektakel Zwolle, the Netherlands on 23 November

Thread: Re: Trax or Tantrix ?

jp26 — 2007-11-23T11:40:12+00:00

I find Trax a bit too samey and dry, but it is isn't a bad game.
Tantrix has an element of luck, but a lot more variety in the games

You can play them both online at ddyer's sites, tantrix.com and boardspace.net and see which one you like best...

Thread: Re: Trax or Tantrix ?

-xXx- — 2007-11-22T22:04:01+00:00

They're still similar. Which is the better part?

Thread: Re: Trax or Tantrix ?

ddyer — 2007-11-22T18:55:39+00:00

Other than the fact that they're sold by the same people, and the
tiles are made of the same material, there is absolutely no relationship
between tantrix and trax as games.

Thread: Trax or Tantrix ?

-xXx- — 2007-11-22T15:54:52+00:00

I like the Trax bag more than Tantrix and the black tiles don't look as disturbing. Aside the visual differences, is it worth getting the two or is Tantrix a revised multiplayer version which completely replaces Trax?

Thread: amusing win because of forced play

russ — 2007-04-07T10:25:46+00:00

We just finished a 2-player game where my opponent had a single long red line, and my green line wasn't quite as long due to too many pieces off in a second shorter green line with no clear way to join my two green lines due to a lack of appropriate tiles to go along the edge to connect them, since both loose ends were facing each other on separate "peninsulas", with a gap between them which was simply impossible to fill with the tiles we had. The bag was already empty (hence the peninsulas had formed), the end was near, and we both thought I was going to lose.

Since the sack was empty, I thought about cutting across the gap directly to connect the 2 separate peninsulas and thus connect my two lines, leaving an internal hole - but I just didn't have the right tiles to make the connection.

Because I clearly lacked the tiles to make the connection on my own, my opponent no longer considered me a threat. But she had a tile which would fit and make the connection if I played the right tile to extend one end of my main line to one end of my secondary line. 2 opposite ends of the gap were now green, and another side had a different color, which just happened to match her tile with a straight green segment. So she was forced to play, bridging a gap with space on both sides of the bridge. Cool! Now I was joined into one big line, which had 2 points more than her, and I won.

I think it was the first time we'd ever seen or even thought about setting up a forced play where the 3 already-occupied sides were not contiguous. We re-read that part of the rules to confirm, and it seems that this was legitimate.

Thread: More and more, it gets better and better...

flyinghogfish — 2007-01-13T17:37:19+00:00

I've been playing Tantrix for a little while now, mostly with the family, where it finds a welcome home for after-dinner games. However, as my friend Ian was visiting for a Battlelore-a-thon, and seeing as we'd finished a little early, we decided to have a shot.

The rules took seconds to explain, the 'contested edge' rules a little longer, and some further explanation later in the game.

Ian went for blue, I chose yellow, and the mental jousting was on!

I'd explained the idea of placing pieces to force an opponent to extend your line, and I soon found myself wishing that I hadn't, Ian had far too good a grasp of the rules, and what I'd expected to be an easy, intorductory game too on a more sinister aspect. He diverted my line from achieving loop-dom, he forced me to fill in gaps, and he seemed to PICK IT UP VERY QUICKLY. By the closing part of the game, we were neck and neck, I was one tile ahead, despite my best efforts to thwart the growing blue ribbon. Then, as if by magic, the bag was empty and it was time to place the last tiles - I cut off one end of Ian's ribbon with a three-blue gap, but he saw what I'd done and did the same back! The last few tiles were played in a random manner, as neither of us could extend our lines.

End result -

Ian - 26 tiles
Me - 21 tiles

Grr! Another win for Ian to add to his 4-1 Battlelore victories... still, I enjoyed the game hugely.

Thread: Re: Tantrix - A Light Review

ddyer — 2007-01-03T19:40:21+00:00

By trying to coverall the bases, I think you've muddled things
a bit.

Tantrix is a set of 56 tiles (as described above).

There is a Tantrix Game which uses all 56 tiles.

There are also numerous puzzles which use subsets of the
56 tiles, some of which have also been sold as standalone
puzzles. One of these is Tantrix Discovery, which uses
tiles 1-10 of the standard set.

There are lots of other puzzles and a solitaire game
using subsets of the 56 tiles.

Thread: Tantrix - A Light Review

Neil Thomson — 2007-01-03T09:17:17+00:00

All of my reviews aim to offer a brief overview that allows people to get a good feel for what the game may offer them. I feel that other reviews can be sought if detailed game mechanics is what you are after.

Tantrix is a classic puzzle that has spawned a number of versions and expansions over the past decade or so. Therefore it is important to note that this review is based on the Tantrix Discovery Pack Edition. But before I outline the features of the discovery pack, allow me to outline the puzzle in more general terms – as this applies to most versions of Tantrix on the market.

The game comes with a collection of black hexagonal tiles that each contain 3 coloured lines out of a possible 4 – red, blue, yellow and green). These lines can be straight, a short tight curve or a longer and wider curve. Each player is assigned a colour and on their turn they select a tile (they are all placed face down before play commences) and plays it to the table. The aim of the game is to form the longest continuing line of your own colour before the tiles run out and the game is over. Players can score double points if they can form a loop. Of course when placing tiles, all adjacent tiles must match up accordingly – only lines of the same colour can do so.

Another critical rule is that of forced moves. A player is forced to place a tile in any space that is bordered by 3 other tiles. A player can be forced to place any number of tiles on their turn but once taken care of, the player can still have their normal turn. These forced tiles enable the board to continually evolve and force the players to adapt to the changing situations. That is Tantrix in a nutshell – a simple but engaging version of dominoes that engages the brain and is great fun to play.

Now for the Discovery Pack Edition. It comes with a total of 56 tiles in a neat carry bag and the backs of each tile contain a number in one of the 4 colours. Each tile has a unique number up to 56. These allow Tantrix to be played in Solitaire mode. The play begins by taking tiles 1-3. Each of these numbers is coloured yellow. The aim then is to form a loop using the 3 tiles and the loop must be of the same colour as the numbers, in this case yellow. This will take about 3 seconds to achieve.

The number 4 tile is then taken and it is a different colour (red from memory). The player must now take all four tiles and form a loop of red. Play then proceeds until the player reaches the final tile and forms a loop using all 56 tiles. This is great fun and highly challenging.

Finally if the first two options were not enough then Rainbow Tantrix may be for you. This version requires players to form a series of unique loops and lines of colour at the same time using particular tiles. Various scenarios are provided to keep you playing Tantrix for years to come.

The Final Word

What more can I say? As far as puzzles go Tantrix is a real gem that will keep you engaged for hours. The ability to play with friends or go solitaire is a real winner and the carry bag and quality of the tiles make it a great value for money investment. A mind bender of the highest order.

Thread: Re: Great bits. fun game!

Kalkie — 2006-12-05T17:52:23+00:00

Hi, for backpacking or to play on the camping there is a magnetic version with small tiles and a little metal board and there is a version with real tiles but realy made for backpacking, 56 real bakelite tiles in a small bag and weighting 124 gram including bag.

Thread: Why it sucks you in....

isis & osiris — 2006-08-11T23:00:29+00:00

This is a great game, that really has potential to end your life outside of the tile bag or computer. The online version of this that Dave was talking of is one of the best game interfaces on the net, and is pretty easy to use. The community of people playing is very easy to get along with and online reduces the one sifficult area of Tantrix - that of finding forced spaces (This can however be seen as an advantage for more experienced people if you don't plan on telling somebody if they don't see it.....not that I would do that )
The simplicity and colour gives the game appeal to lots of people - What appears to be a random game suddenly becomes very tactical once you work out what you are trying to do!

Thread: Re: Great bits. fun game!

mr.codepoet — 2006-08-07T21:26:27+00:00

craniac wrote:
ooooh, this looks like it would make a great camping game!

Camping yes, backpacking maybe. I've played it many times camping and it is great. It is easy to teach to strangers and the pieces are basically washable if something happens to them in the Great Outdoors.

I've never taken the game backpacking, however. It is a little on the heavy side (reletive to bringing a card game or two), and it does require a bit of flat space to play. If the weight doesn't bother you, I suppose it would be possible to play on a flat sleeping bag or pad, or even a smooth patch of sand could work. The board doesn't need to be as flat and rigid as it would have to be for Settlers, for example. So, it is definately possible.

Thread: Re: Great bits. fun game!

craniac — 2006-08-07T14:40:34+00:00

ooooh, this looks like it would make a great camping game!

Thread: Re: handicapping

ddyer — 2006-08-06T19:20:01+00:00

There is enough variablity due to luck, that even severely overmatched
players have a reasonable chance of winning any particular game, so
formal handicapping is mostly not required.

Online games are scored on the winning margin, and years of data
suggest that a game between the best player in the world and a rank
amateur would need a 10-point handicap. So if you're serious about
equalizing the average outcome, a small point handicap would do the
trick. Deciding the correct level is tricky due to the luck factor,
but against a regular opponent you might start with a 1-point handicap,
and change it by 1 point every time you win or lose two games in a row.

Handicaps on tantrix.com, compiled on about a million games (no kidding!)
played online.

http://www.tantrix.com/cgi-bin/gs_rankings3.cgi?n=1000

Thread: Great bits. fun game!

mr.codepoet — 2006-08-06T14:06:35+00:00

Tantrix is one of the more enjoyable games in my collection. There is a good combination of strategy and luck; the bits are sturdy and make a great "clacking" sound when mixed in the bag; and there is good variety in the solitaire puzzles.

Puzzles
The game rule book comes with many solitaire challenges in it that have no relation to the strategy game. The puzzles are a good way to used to arraying tiles in a hex grid, and recognizing which pieces go where. They range from easy tasks like taking any six tiles and arranging them in a pyramid to the "Unsolved Puzzles". These challenges, which were unsolved when the rules were printed, involve trying to use all the tiles to create lines/loops of all for colors simultaneously. Other puzzle variations invole making the longest line using a fixed list of tiles, and arraying tiles in a specific order in a pyramid and rotating them until the colors match. No matter how you play Tantrix, the colors must always match.

Strategy Game
The flip side of the rule book contains the rules for a 2-4 player game that can be played with the tiles. 4 players is a maximum because there are only 4 colors on the tiles, but with 2 or 3 players the extra color(s) are just ignored; no special rules are needed.

The basic idea is that each player chooses a color and attempts to make the longest line or loop of that color. Only the longest line/loop for each player counts, though loops count double. Game play is simple and straight forward. Tiles are played one at a time (the colors must always match) and a replacement tile is drawn from the bag. However, there are some rules to prevent this from becomming a free-for-all and add a lot of strategy to the game.

First, though the colors must always match, there are a couple of other restrictions on where tiles can be placed. (These restrictions last until there are no more tiles left in the bag; then it does become a free-for-all). A player cannot play a tile so that there is an empty space with 4 defined sides. There are three such spots in this picture:
]]>
The other restriction is that a player cannot play a tile, even if the colors match, if it means there will be an empty space with 3 sides of the same color. There are more details, but these restrictions are both needed becuase of the following rule which makes all the difference in the game.

Any space with 3 defined sides is a "Forced Space". This works just like it sounds. Each player gets one chance to put a tile anywhere he/she likes each turn, but before and after that happens, if there are any forced spaces on the table, the player has to fill them any and all of them if he/she can. Since the tiles each player has in reserve are face up, this simple rule has a lot of consequences.

1. You can force your opponent to add to your line or finish your loop.
2. You can force the ends of your opponent's attempted loop away from each other.
3. You can make your opponent waste pieces that would be used for his/her line.
4. Your line can end up with a "dead-end" if a tile matching the forced space never gets drawn.
5. The played tiles tend to gravitate toward a hexagonal shape.

Overall, there tends to be a good mix of strategy and luck. Setting up places to block your opponents and hoping someone draws the tile to add onto your line at the forced spaces makes the game a lot of fun. The game gets more complex with more people as every color becomes impoortant, but the general idea is the same.

On the down side, the game is a bit on the short side, but this tends to lead to rematches. Also, since a skilled player can easily dominate someone new to the game or playing at random, there is not an easy way to handicap experienced players. Having the experienced person use a smaller reserve of tiles is an option, but I don't think it would make enough of a difference. Similarly, hiding the tiles in the new person's reserve might be too much of an advantage. There hasn't been a need for this with the people I play with, so your mileage may vary.

It is unlikely, but the game can even be forced to a draw by a couple of determined players. I played one such game with a friend where the two of us were each trying to force the other into small loops to waste tiles. About half way through the game, we forced each other into simultaneous 20 point loops. Since there weren't enough tiles left of each color to make a longer line, we eventually called the game a draw.

Ratings
Solitaire Puzzles: 7 - They are a great way to just fiddle with the tiles (which you will want to do), but once they have all been solved, there's not much reason to try them again.

Strategy Game: 8 - Fun, portable, relatively short, and with a good dose of luck and skill makes this a great game for lunch breaks, between longer games, or while waiting for that fifth person to show up.

Thread: Re: Tantrix looks a lot like Psyche-Paths to me!

AKARed — 2006-05-17T23:57:45+00:00

Is Psyche-Path a game dating to the mid- '70s? Because when I saw the pictures on here of Tantrix I "recognized" it as something I played all the time Back in the Day when I was a kid, but I'm pretty sure it was cardboard tiles and the name doesn't ring a bell. But Psyche-Path is odd enough to sound familiar. I'd forgotten all about it but know I played it all the time with my brother and as solitare.

Thread: Re: Session Report

ddyer — 2005-12-31T00:44:10+00:00

You're quite right about the degree of luck in any single game,
but that's a feature that makes the game interesting even between
significantly mismatched players. Poker involves a lot of luck
too, but it's fun even if it's your pocket that is being emptied.

The online version at tantrix.com is more fun for beginners than
playing with real tiles.

Thread: Re: Tantrix looks a lot like Psyche-Paths to me!

ddyer — 2005-12-31T00:33:55+00:00

No relationship, except that any set of hexagonal tiles with lines on it will probably look a lot like any other. Tantrix uses 4 colors where Psyche-Paths uses 3.

Thread: Re: Tantrix Puzzles

ddyer — 2005-12-31T00:31:12+00:00

All of the tantrix puzzles except tantrix xtreme can be constructed by selecting some tiles from the 56 tile tantrix game. Tantrix extreme adds black as a fifth color.

Thread: Tantrix review

Terraliptar — 2005-11-30T19:38:59+00:00

Tantrix consist of 56 bakelite hexagonal tiles, each of which have three lines of colour on them (out of four possible colours - red, yellow, green and blue). Each line of colour begins and ends at one of the tile's six sides and each tile's combination of lines and colours is unique. All the tiles are numbered on the back in various colours (more on that later).

]]>

The main multiplayer game starts with each player deciding which of the four colours they will be and then picking a tile out of the bag. The one with the highest number on the back gets to start. Each player then takes a further five tiles from the bag and places them face up in front of them. Being able to see your opponents' tiles is a major part of the game and whenever you place a tile you should instantly take another tile from the bag to replenish your stock. The game then consists of each player taking turns to place a tile on the table (making sure that the lines on their tiles match up with the colours of the lines on the tiles that they're being placed next to) and trying to create the longest line or loop of their chosen colour. At the end of the game your score is calculated by the number of tiles that it took to make the longest line or loop in your colour. With lines each tile counts as one point and with loops they count as two points.

But it gets more complicated than that.

As soon as a space is created which has tiles on three sides then it becomes a 'forced space' and must be filled by the first person who has a tile which fits correctly into it. If you create a forced space then you must fill it, if possible, with one of your tiles. If this creates another forced space then you must try to fill that as well, making sure each time that you take another tile from the bag to replenish your stock. This is where the strategy comes into it because you can see what tiles your opponents have and therefore you should try to create forced spaces which they will have to fill but that will benefit you either by increasing your line or bringing you nearer to creating a loop. You can also use them to force people to finish their loops prematurely or to create a forced space that you know no one has a matching tile for which then prevents someone from extending their line in that direction.

Once forced spaces come into play then each player's turn consists of (1) trying to fill forced spaces, including replenishing tiles and then trying again, (2) playing their standard move and then (3) trying to fill any forced spaces that their standard move has created.

There are three restrictions to gameplay. Firstly, you are not allowed to create forced spaces with three lines of the same colour travelling into them since no tiles exist to fill those spaces. Secondly, you are not allowed to create a forced space with tiles on four sides. Thirdly, if you create a forced space along a straight side of the Tantrix (which is what the combined tiles that have already been placed are called) then no other tiles can be played on that side while the forced space exists. This is called a controlled side because the forced space prevents you from placing tiles there (which is another way of preventing the growth of your opponents' lines). You basically have to fill the forced space, then the newly created forced space next to it and so on until you reach a corner. The good news is that as soon as the tile bag is depleted then these three restrictions are lifted. You still have to try and filled forced spaces first but after that you can pretty much play your standard move wherever you want (as long as the colours match, obviously).

The game ends when all the tiles have been used up, at which point you work out who has the highest-scoring line or loop.

In addition to the multiplayer game there is a solitaire version (which uses tiles 1-14) and various puzzles to solve. Discovery puzzles use tiles 1-30 and are about creating loops of colour. You start of with tiles 1-3 and, because the number on the back of tile three is red, try to make a red loop. If you succeed at that then you add the next tile in sequence and try to create a loop in the colour of the number of that tile. The Rainbow puzzles require you to first sort the tiles into colours based on the coloured numbers (red, yellow, green, blue and white) on the back of the tiles. There are, for example, ten tiles with green numbers on and you must use them to make a green loop which uses all ten tiles. In addition to these there are several advanced puzzles: Pyramid puzzles, Super 5 puzzles and the two Unsolved (except by computer) puzzles.

Bottom line: I really like Tantrix. It is more involved and strategic than I expected it to be and the strategic element increases as the number of players decrease (the instructions do point out that a two-player game is generally more skilful/strategic than a game with three or four players.). I initially thought that the game was going to feel as 'lucky' as Ingenious but the fact that you are able to see your opponents' unplayed tiles definitely gives it the edge. Very playable, very portable and very attractive.

Thread: Re: Tantrix looks a lot like Psyche-Paths to me!

tool — 2005-10-06T19:03:14+00:00

The tile sets are actually quite different on close inspection, although they do look similar at first glance. I understand the rules are also fairly different, but I don't know those for Tantrix myself.

Thread: Tantrix looks a lot like Psyche-Paths to me!

victoryfarm — 2005-10-06T13:44:31+00:00

Just wondering if anyone has played both Tantrix and Psyche-Paths (or had access to rules for both).

Maybe I'm missing something, but they look the same to me!

Thread: Tantrix Puzzles

Dingus — 2003-10-22T22:49:02+00:00

The "general comment" mentioned the Discovery Tantrix puzzle. There are also six sets of Crazy Tantrix sold as puzzles, with six levels of difficulty - Junior, Student,Professor, Master, Genius and Ultimate. Each mesh bag has 10 - 16 tiles.

Thread: Session Report

ssmooth — 2001-10-23T18:17:33+00:00

Jack showed up before the Attila game was over, so we had six and split up into two games. While Jim was beating Philip and Jack at Euphrat & Tigris, Ward showed Leon and me how to play Tantrix.

In this game you get nice black hexagonal plastic tiles, each of which has three different colored lines on it. Unlike the lines on the Take It Easy tiles, though, most of these lines do not go straight across the tile. Each of the six faces of the hexagon has one color on it, but the line from that face may curve to any of the other five faces. There are four colors in the game altogether -- red, blue, green, and yellow -- but only three colors on each tile.

These are played domino fashion, each tile having to connect up properly to the tiles it is placed next to. Each player gets a color, and the object of the game is basically to have the longest continuous line on the board at the end of the game, when all the tiles are down -- except you score double if you manage to close your loop.

The thing that makes this more complicated than playing dominos is that if there is an empty spot on the board with three tiles bordering it, that spot immediately has to be filled if the player whose turn it is can fill it -- but the tile you play to fill it doesn't count as your turn. You can play as many of these "forced" tiles as you are able and still get one "unforced" move during your turn.

Well, to make a long story short, we got to see how the game worked, and how the rules about "forced" tiles were going to shape the board and what we could get out of it. It wasn't really what we expected! But it was interesting and will be interesting to do again. Leon won the game this time with the scores something like 21-18-14.

Thread: Session Report

PBrennan — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

It was sacrilege having this played on a table that's been a family heirloom, however if I'm going to host gaming nights, sometimes I just have to swallow the pain.

Scores: Andrew (the reigning Trixer) 28, Craig 19

Thread: Session Report

PBrennan — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Andrew and I started off with a 2 player game of Tantrix. This is a New Zealand game with a pouch of 56 bakelite hex tiles. Each tile has three different coloured "ribbons", similar to Take It Easy, except that the ribbons come in all sorts of different combinations of straight, slight
curve and tight curve across the hex. There are 4 colours, and each player is trying to create the longest 'ribbon' in their colour. Your score is your highest scoring ribbon, where a ribbon scores 1 point for each hex you've
managed to connect in your colour. If you manage to close a loop (say of 8 hexes), it scores double (eg 16).

You start by playing any tile (there's no board, just plonk it down) and other players build off that. The tricky thing is the forced moves aspect. All empty spaces that touch 3 played tiles must be filled by 1 of the 6 tiles in your hand if you can. After which you have your free play. There
are some restrictions, like you can't surround a space with 4 tiles and can't play along a side which is awaiting a 'forced move' filling. After your free play, you check for 'forced move' spaces again which you must fill if you can. And in fact, filling a 'forced move' may create more 'forced move' spaces so you must fill them all if you can. You replenish after every tile played so there's continual checking of whether the new tile can be played or not.

Which makes for a game that has some tricky thinking involved. You need to observe what tiles everyone has and therefore work out the implications of a number of moves, who can fill potential 'forced move' spaces that you create
and will those fillings advance your scoring ribbon or someone elses. And with a heap of tiles out there with different colours and all sorts of patterns, you can sit there and think it all out forever to get the optimum
move if you like. But then, to counter all this tricky thinking, comes the luck which can cruelly hose you. After each play, you replenish your hand. If you've created some forced moves that the next player will be able to fill to your advantage (a good tactic), its possible to pull out a tile which alas fits the 'forced move' space which must be played and which could be terrible for you.

The contrast between the thought required to create good plays, and the consequent largish downtime for other players, and the luck generated by the replenishment makes it an unsatisfactory experience all up. Interesting idea, but the balance between skill and luck is out of kilter. This becomes more evident with more players (we've played with 4 the other time) where it's impossible to plan between goes - and 'player luck' as to whose ribbons get extended by default and whose don't is quite high.

Scores: Andrew 23, Pat 18

A rating of 5 after 2 plays for 'average game, slightly boring, take it or leave it'. Interesting, but with problems.