Difficulty: Medium
Players: 1 player or 2–4 players head-to-head
Age: 10+
Time: About 5–15 minutes
Scoring: No
Style: Spatial puzzle / pattern-building
Before playing, make sure everyone understands TIC card Commonness: a Single means two cards have one property in common, a Tic means they have two properties in common, and a Nic means they have nothing in common.
Objective
Create a 4 × 4 grid of 16 cards in which every pair of cards touching edge-to-edge makes either:
- a Single, or
- a Tic.
Nics are not allowed.
Only edge-to-edge contact matters. Diagonal or corner-to-corner cards do not interact.
Solo Gridsy
Setup
Deal 16 cards face-up.
Place the remaining deck face-down nearby.
Play
Arrange the 16 cards into a 4 × 4 grid.
You may move and rearrange the cards as often as you like.
Every touching edge in the completed grid must be a Single or a Tic.
If you cannot complete the grid with your original 16 cards, draw 1 additional card from the deck.
You now have 17 cards to choose from, but your completed grid still uses only 16 cards.
If necessary, continue drawing additional cards one at a time until you can complete the grid.
Solo Challenge
Try to complete the grid using as few extra cards as possible.
A perfect game uses only the original 16 cards.
Head-to-Head Gridsy
Setup
Deal 16 cards face-down to each player.
Place 4 cards face-up in the centre of the table where everyone can reach them.
Each player needs enough space to build their own 4 × 4 grid.
Play
When everyone is ready, someone calls:
“Go!”
All players flip over their 16 cards and begin building their grids at the same time.
There are no turns.
Players may freely rearrange the cards in their own playing area as they work.
Swapping Centre Cards
At any time, you may swap 1 card from your cards with 1 card from the centre.
To swap:
- Take one face-up card from the centre.
- Immediately replace it with one of your own cards.
The centre must always contain 4 face-up cards.
You may make as many swaps as you like during the game, but only one card at a time.
If two players reach for the same centre card at the same time, the player who touches it first gets the card.
Winning
The first player to complete a legal 4 × 4 grid wins the round.
When a player believes their grid is complete, they call “Gridsy!”
Before declaring victory, opponents quickly check that every edge-to-edge interaction in the grid is either a Single or a Tic.
If any Nic is found, the grid is not complete and play continues.
Playing Several Rounds
For a longer match, try:
Best 3 out of 5, or
Best 4 out of 7.
Variations
Easier / Faster Game
Build a 3 × 3 grid.
For head-to-head play, use 3 centre swapping cards.
Harder / Longer Game
Build a 5 × 5 grid.
For head-to-head play, use 5 centre swapping cards.
