Qix

Qix is a video game that I first played on a table console at the Northgate Red Robin back when it was at the north end of the mall and we used to live in an apartment across the street from the south parking lot, more than two decades ago.

I enjoyed it then, but in the years that have gone by, not until recently have I found a decent true to the original emulation. Now we've got it on our Eskimo Arcade games site, so you can click on the above image and go there and play.

The object of Qix is to claim at least 75% of the area by boxing it in drawing lines. You can draw with a quick or slow line. You get twice as many points if you draw with a slow line. In addition, when you exceed 75%, you get 1000 points per percentage over 75%, so it's best to try to set things up, get the Qix into a small area, and then close the box around it so that you get a larger percentage of the area and a larger bonus.

While you're drawing there are various enemies try to kill you. The Qix, a colorful thing that resembles a moving Spirograph design, moves around in the open space, and if it touches a line you are in the process of actively dying, you die. Sparks, which follows the borders of the outlying area, and if they come around to where you are and touch you, you die. Fuses, which start if you stop while drawing a line and then follow the line towards you, and if they catch you, you die.

Qix plays in multiple levels. For the first two levels there is only one Qix. Starting with the third level there are two, but you get twice as many points for area claimed. I don't know what happens after the third level because I've never gotten past that point.

Also, when you start the game at the top there is a colored line that shrinks, when it gets to nothing, two sparks originate and follow the borders in opposite directions. The line then goes back to wide and starts shrinking again. Every time it gets to nothing, two more sparks are created, so that if you survive for long there can be many circulating making life very difficult.

While you are playing you will sometimes here this alarm noise. When that happens, the Sparks will change direction and come at you if they happen to be heading away. Drawing and completing a box will retire the alarm and then they will return to normal.

This is a game best played on massive doses of caffeine and not when sleep deprived. Think fast, and have fun!