Game Creator Robert Coleman has partnered with Blue Orange Games to launch his newest game Linkx. In this 2-player game, players compete to be the first to connect two opposite edges of the grid. Strategically placing tetris-shaped pieces in a vertical board, players can choose to either block opponents or grow their lines. We caught up with Robert recently to talk about his early life, career, game design, the creative process behind Linkx and gain some tips to improve our playthrough.
Turning Love of Board Games into a Career
Growing up, Robert always loved board games. His favorites were Stratomatic Baseball and Chess. He was the chess champion at his school. When he was 11, he tried to set a record with a friend by playing Monopoly for 48 hours straight. They lasted 43 hours in total.
He entered the career world as a computer programmer, eventually progressing to team management. While working, he created games on the side and eventually decided to locate a game agent. He sold his first game, Rock Paper Switch, through Mary Ellroy at GameBird Toys. Following that collaboration, Robert decided to give full time game inventing a try. Now, several years later, with over five games currently on the market, his dream job has fully solidified.
When he invented Linkx, he originally thought of calling it “Pathological”. He started with the idea of a vertical game board where players drop pieces in. As his design progressed, his love of geometric shapes influenced game piece design. The goal of the game, to make a path from one side to another, just seemed to easily follow as the logical choice.
Ideally, Robert hopes players will have fun playing Linkx and enjoy the strategic challenge. Because players have to learn a bit more about strategies each time they play, it is a game that gamers will want to play again and again. His pro tip for beginners: “Play defense first and don’t let your opponent seal off your pieces!”
Recently a finalist in the Mensa Select competition, Linkx was well received by reviewers. Many praised the game’s replay value, appreciating the quick set-up and play time. Others flagged it as a great game for kids and a perfect introduction to spatial reasoning. While simple and straightforward, reviewers were pleased to see strategy unfold over repeated plays.