Drop It, Link It, Win It: A Linkx Review

Drop your pieces into the grid and try to connect opposite sides for victory, in this two-player board game that’s reminiscent of an old classic.

Published by Blue Orange Games, Linkx is a 2-player game with a 10 minute playtime.

Gameplay

The game is played in a grid that stands up. Each player takes 14 pieces of their player color. Players then take turns dropping a piece of their color into the grid. A piece cannot be dropped so that it would create an empty space in the grid beneath that piece, no part of the piece can come out of the top of the grid, and if a piece cannot be legally placed, then that player’s turn ends.

To win the game, a player has to link opposite sides of the grid (either left and right, or top and bottom) with a continuous line of their own pieces. Pieces are considered linked if either their sides or their corners meet. If neither player can add another piece to the grid, and no one has won the game, then whoever has the largest group of linked pieces is the winner.

Review

Linkx feels like a more advanced Connect Four. Gameplay is similar, but victory is a little more complicated. Players have to consider all the different shapes and pieces and be on the lookout for how the opponent might use them to reach victory. You can always see what shapes your opponent has left, which gives you the ability to try and block them. It can be especially tricky to track all the diagonal connections

It has a good table presence, and the pieces look lovely. It's fun to play with, dropping the pieces in and hearing them clink into place.

This felt like it would be a good fit for families and kids. The gameplay got a little repetitive for us, and we tended to reach the end a little too fast to feel really satisfied. The strategy never felt like it evolved much. Like with Connect Four, it felt like we were just constantly reacting to the last played piece.

For family gamers, Linkx could be an enjoyable upgrade to a classic. It does have something new to offer and feels more challenging, and the multiple win conditions ensure you don't end up stuck in a stalemate. We found it a little lackluster, but a younger audience isn’t likely to.

Pros: Good component quality, there’s always a winner

Cons: Felt a little repetitive, over pretty quickly without feeling entirely satisfying

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.