====== Trax ======

Trax is a two-player abstract played with at least 64 double-sided tiles.  On each tile the players' tracks cross on one side and don't cross on the other.  You may play either side of a tile next to any other on the board as long as the track colors match up.  

The goal is to form a loop of any size in your color, or to form a line of your color across the entire board //and// at least 8 columns or rows wide.

In addition to taking turns placing tiles, there are forced plays into any empty square that already has the same color track coming into it from two sides.  If a play would be both impossible and forced, then the previous play that led to it is illegal and may not be made.

The original game was restricted to an 8x8 square, and this variant is supported at Abstract Play, but the default is the unrestricted game, sometimes known as "infinite trax".  There is also a variant in which lines do not count for victory, so the only goal is to form a loop of your color.

  * Designer: David L. Smith, 1980
  * Coder: ypaul
  * [[http://www.traxgame.com|Official Trax Website]]
  * Trax [[https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/748/trax|at BoardGameGeek]]

----

==== AI generated ====

====== Trax ======

Place track tiles so colours match. Win with a loop or a straight line of your colour. Forced tiles can fill several cells in one turn.

Inventor: David L. Smith

===== Rules =====

Published listing: [[https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/748/trax|BoardGameGeek: Trax]].

==== Goal ====

After a turn (including forced tiles), check both colours. Player 1 is the **white** track; player 2 is **red**.

  * A **loop** of your colour wins.
  * A **line** of your colour spanning eight or more tiles east–west or north–south also wins (not in Loop Trax). The track must enter the west/east (or north/south) edges with the correct orientation.

If both colours would win on the same turn, the player who just moved is checked first and wins. On a size-8 board, if no one has won and no legal tile remains, the player who placed the last tile **loses**.

==== Setup ====

Empty table. The first tile may be placed anywhere. The layout grows; coordinates stay relative.

==== Gameplay ====

Place one tile adjacent to the existing structure so every touching edge matches colour. Tile types are straight (''+'') and the two corner orientations (''/'' and ''\\'').

Whenever a placement creates a space that can be filled in **only one** legal way, that tile is **forced** and is added immediately. Forced play can chain.

==== Variants ====

===== Loop Trax =====

Only loops win; lines do not.

===== Size-8 board =====

The structure may not exceed 8×8. Last tile without a win loses.

===== Further details =====

==== Version history ====

  * Current engine version: ''20241006'' (2024-10-06). On Abstract Play since 2025-01-11.

==== Links ====

  * [[https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/748/trax]]