Play Qix Online

Summary

The NES version of Qix (1991) turns a simple rectangle into a tense battlefield of geometry and timing. I guide a diamond‑shaped marker along the edges with a four‑direction joystick, then press either the Slow Draw or Fast Draw button to lay down a Stix in unclaimed space. Drawing slowly doubles the area’s point value, but it also gives the wandering Qix—a colorful, unpredictable stick‑like entity—more time to intersect the line and trigger the fuse that burns back toward you.

Sparx zip around the perimeter, and when the timer runs out they mutate into Super Sparx that can chase you along unfinished Stix, raising the stakes dramatically. To clear a level you must claim at least 75 % of the playfield (adjustable between 50 % and 90 %), with extra bonuses for every percent beyond the threshold. From the third level onward a second Qix appears; splitting the field between them not only ends the stage but also raises a scoring multiplier that can reach nine.

Electronic Gaming Monthly later honored this risky‑versus‑reward formula by ranking the NES port #100 on its "100 Best Games of All Time" list, a testament to how a handful of buttons can create endless strategic tension.