If you’ve ever wandered over to the Qix machine at Time Rift Arcade and wondered how on earth to survive more than a minute, you’re not alone. Qix is one of those deceptively simple games that can suck you in fast—and chew you up even faster.
David from Time Rift Arcade (aka The 8-Bit Guy himself) is here to help with some expert tips—and even a clever cheat—to help you dominate one of the most overlooked gems of the golden arcade era.
Watch the YouTube Video!
The Basics of Qix
At first glance, Qix (pronounced “kicks”) looks simple: move your cursor around the screen and draw boxes to claim territory. The game features a joystick and two buttons—fast draw (blue boxes) and slow draw (red boxes). Slow draw earns you more points, but it leaves you more vulnerable.
Most Players Do It Wrong
Many players instinctively go for big chunks of territory. But that’s risky. Here’s why:
- The Sparks: These little buggers travel the inner perimeter of your claimed territory. Shrink the playing area too quickly, and they have less distance to travel—meaning they’ll be on you in no time.
- Slow Draw Becomes Difficult: With a small perimeter, it’s harder to safely use the slower (but more rewarding) red draw.
A Better Strategy
Instead of closing in fast, David recommends a wall-building strategy:
Start by creating little fences around the screen to increase the perimeter length. This gives the sparks a longer path to travel—buying you time. Once the Qix (the weird dancing line thing in the center) is confined to a smaller space, you can safely bridge larger gaps using slow draw, racking up those juicy red-box points.
The Secret Cheat
Feeling sneaky? There’s a clever exploit you can use to trap the sparks.
- Start the level and carefully maneuver around the first spark.
- Draw a small box, then a little “nail head” shape next to it (it doesn’t have to be perfect).
- Now draw another box around all of that just as the sparks approach.
If timed right, one spark gets trapped inside your weird little creation—and it just… stays there, confused and stuck. When more sparks appear later, they can get trapped too. That leaves you with only one spark to dodge, making the rest of the game dramatically easier.
Come Try It at Time Rift Arcade
Whether you’re chasing high scores or just want to try that spark-trapping cheat for yourself, we’ve got Qix ready to play at Time Rift Arcade. Challenge your friends, test your skills, and see how many red boxes you can rack up without losing your cool.
Come see why Qix is one of David’s all-time favorites—it might just become one of yours too.
