Rocolex is a number game for two players, played on a square grid of numbers. It takes about two minutes to learn. You can play a friend, a bot or a stranger, or play on your own against a bot to practise.

The board

The board is a grid of 7 rows and 7 columns, so 49 squares. 48 of them hold a number, anywhere from -7 up to 12. Some numbers are negative, and picking one costs you points. The last square holds the token, which marks where the last pick was made. The numbers are shuffled for every new game, so no two boards are the same.

Rows and columns

At the start of a game one player is given the Rows and the other is given the Columns. You keep that for the whole game.

• If you are on Rows, you may only pick a number in the same row as the token.
• If you are on Columns, you may only pick a number in the same column as the token.

Taking a turn

1. Look at the line the token is on (your row or your column).
2. Pick one of the numbers left in that line.
3. That number is added to your score. If it was negative, it is taken off.
4. The token moves onto the square you picked, and the square is used up.
5. Your opponent now picks from the line the token is on, which is a different line from yours.

A short example

Suppose you are on Rows and the token is in a row that reads like this:

The 9 is the biggest, so it is tempting. But the token will move to the 9's square, and your opponent (on Columns) must then pick from the column that the 9 sits in. If that column is full of high numbers, you have just handed your opponent a big turn. The 6 might give them a column of poor numbers instead. Looking one move ahead is the whole game.

When does it end?

The game ends when the player whose turn it is has nothing left to pick in their line. The player with the higher score wins.

Seeing your score

Played with paper squares, the scores are kept secret and you have to add them up in your head. The online version shows your score as you go, so that everyone can play. That is the easy way to learn.

Ready?

Read our strategy guide for tips on winning, the questions and answers, or sign in and play.