Nine Tiles

About this board game

Nine Tiles is a fast pattern-matching game for 2–4 players that plays in about 15 minutes. Each player races to arrange nine double-sided tiles in a 3×3 grid that matches the image on a revealed goal card.

Every set contains nine identical tiles. Each tile has one of six images on each side, and each image appears three times across the set, paired with a different image in each instance. Tiles also feature 1–4 dots to help players sort their sets.

At the start of a round, reveal one of the thirty goal cards. Players then rearrange their tiles as quickly as possible, using only two types of actions: flip one tile or swap two tiles. When a player believes their grid matches the goal, they slap the card to claim it.

• Correctly matched cards are kept face-up.
• An incorrect claim is still kept, but the card is flipped face-down.
• A player with two face-down cards is eliminated.
• The first player to collect four face-up cards wins.

Nine Tiles combines visual recognition, quick decision-making, and simple physical actions into a compact race where every moment matters. Players must work out the pattern while keeping an eye on the risk of making a hasty claim.

For larger groups, two sets can be combined so up to eight players can compete. When more than four people play, reveal two goal cards each round, with each player allowed to claim no more than one card. First released in 2015, Nine Tiles offers a straightforward challenge with plenty of pressure in every round.