Lines By The Dots

This is a game for any plural number of players.

Start with an array of n-by-n dots, where n is decided by the players amongst themselves. (There should be a higher n if there are more players.)

Players take turns moving. The first player to move starts on any dot.

Each player on each of his/her moves draws two lines:
On a player's move, he/she first draws a straight vertical line from {the dot where the last player left off [with a horizontal line, if this is not the first move of the game]} to {any dot in the same column as the dot the last player left off at}, making sure not to draw the line to or through any dot that has been drawn to previously by a line in the game.

Then the same player draws a straight horizontal line from where his/her vertical line ended to any dot in the same row, also making sure not to draw the line to or through any dot that has been drawn to previously by a line in the game.

The lines may not cross or coincide with another line. (This is obvious, since only "virgin" {not drawn to or from} dots may be drawn TO; although a dot need not be a virgin to be drawn FROM.)


If, and only if, a player cannot draw a line of the direction indicated by the rules, then he/she must draw a line (of the same direction that he/she was first unable to draw during his/her move) from any non-virgin dot to/through some of the virgin dots in the same row/column.

Scoring is as follows:

Before a player draws a line (vertical or horizontal), enumerate the number of non-virgin dots in the same column (if before drawing a vertical line) or same row (if before drawing a horizontal line). The player gets this number of dots added to his/her score.

Play continues until each dot is connected to by at least one line-segment. (ie. until each dot is not a virgin.)

Highest score wins.

Thanks,
Leroy Quet