LineX, an interesting new game based on a popular pencil-and-paper game known as Morpion Solitaire, has been released by Tofu Head in the app store. Sporting simple rules and a clean interface, LineX is a thought-provoking head-scratcher of a puzzle with the ability to suck you in and keep you playing for some time.
The LineX gameboard looks like a sheet of graph paper with a series of dots at the intersections of some of the graph lines. There are 5 such initial orientations of dots from which to choose, as well as three levels of difficulty. The goal is to draw as many lines as possible on the paper as quickly as possible. Lines may be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. Each line must be 4 boxes long and contain 5 dots. Lines can only be drawn in an area where it will cross at least 4 dots that already exist on the board. The 5th dot will be filled in automatically when the line is drawn. This is a crucial element, as this newly created dot often opens up new line-drawing possibilities, especially when it becomes the 4th and final dot necessary to create another line on the board. When you start, you have a few “extra” dots that you can add anywhere at any time, which is greatly appreciated when you get stuck. Simply tap the extra dot indicator and then double-tap the intersection where you’d like to place the dot. You can also earn extra dots by completing a line covering 5 existing dots. The dot that normally would have been added to create the line is instead held for later use.
When you want to draw a line, touch-hold the first dot in your expected line and drag your finger in the direction that you want to draw. If a line cannot be drawn there (not enough space, not enough dots), no line marker will appear. If a line can legally be drawn there, a green line marker appears, indicating where the line will go. Release your finger to place the line. Lines cannot include any section of a previously placed line, but ends of two lines may touch.
The graphics are very clean, with a white background and overlaying grid lines. Information on points and extra dots appears along the top of the screen. There are in-game sound effects, but no background music. Controls are all touch-based. Pinch to zoom, two-finger drag to pan, and touch-drag to draw lines. It’s simple, yet effective. The intended intersection is highlighted to confirm which dot you want to start from. If you somehow mess up, there is an undo feature.
We were originally unfamiliar with this game, but got hooked almost immediately once we started playing. Rules are basic and gameplay is fun. LineX in the only game of its kind available in the app store. As with most puzzle games, replay value is high. Online leaderboards are expected in a future update. Tofu Head has priced LineX at $0.99, well worth the money for a very fun 5-Dimple hidden gem.
LineX gets our AppSmile 5-Dimple rating:
