In Taito’s 1981 arcade game Qix, the player draws lines to claim territory. The player controls a marker around the edge of a rectangular playfield, then moves into the unclaimed interior to create a line and divide the space.
The goal is to enclose a sufficiently large portion of the field while avoiding the Qix, a continuously moving abstract object, and other hazards. When the line reaches an existing boundary, the enclosed area becomes filled and scores points. The game’s central idea is therefore not shooting enemies or collecting objects, but converting open space into claimed territory.
Qix was designed by Randy and Sandy Pfeiffer and released by Taito in 1981. Its abstract presentation helped distinguish it from character-based arcade games of the period. The answer is sometimes confused with circles or polygons because the completed regions have many shapes, but the player’s active drawing is a line.