Game: Hex Hex

Thread: Re: Great Party Game

Smirky — 2008-09-02T14:33:26+00:00

gamecat_uk wrote:
One of the great rules of the game is when a complete round is finished the winner can make up a new rule for the next game. One I would like to try is that the Hex adds points rather than takes them away but you must deflect if you can.

One of the major problems I found is that if no-one hexes you, you can end up sitting there for ages neither winning (or losing) points.

From the designer:

Thanks for the kind words.

Given your comments, you may like to look into Hex Hex Next. It is a stand alone game - but blends perfectly into the base game as well. The reason I mention it is that the Hex condition you mentioned above is now a card called BEHEST HEX. You still have to deflect it if you can, but the Hexed player gains points instead of losing them.

We also saw the issue of ignored players and included a card to punish the behavior of leaving a player out. THE FORGOTTEN is a card that awards a point to the owner for every card they have not played, including The Forgotten, when the Hex goes off. Of course, it also allows you to pass the Hex and must be used if you have to, negating the effect. (This is actually a replacement card in the 1.5 version of the base game)

Plus lots of other game changing things...

DRAW FIRE is like Deflect Across except that you can draw a card when you play it.

NO MAN'S HAND allows you to play without a hand. Discard it. When the Hex passes to you, draw a random card out of any other player's hand, play it and return it to them. Only an illegal card will cause the Hex to explode on you.

ROT makes the Hex very lethal. Anyone who becomes the intended target loses a Voice (without it having to go off).

Be sure to check it out when you have the chance.

Best
Curt

Thread: Re: Drafting variant - adds a nice touch of strategy

Smirky — 2008-09-02T14:20:33+00:00

From the designer:

Hmmm... that sounds pretty cool. I'll have to give it a whirl myself.
Very clever.

Thread: Re: Great Party Game

Ibaimendi — 2008-08-11T17:01:24+00:00

gamecat_uk wrote:

Leader bashing is normal but often personal rivalries infiltrate the gameplay making this a hugely entertaining game when a couple of people are getting each other by the throat.

I've only played this game once, but the big problem for me was that it wasn't so much a "bash-the-leader" game as a "bash-the-loser" game. Since players score points by making sure they are the ones to hex another player, there's a strong incentive to go after whoever has the fewest cards left. Am I missing something important here?

Thread: Re: Great Party Game

LankyEngineer — 2008-08-11T12:40:48+00:00

This is a fun game. My favorite rule is that if your elbows touch the table, you lose a point.

Thread: Great Party Game

gamecat_uk — 2008-08-11T11:33:35+00:00

If you've had a hard day slaughtering on the battlefields or bean counting on your cardboard farm nothing is better than getting some quick direct retribution for those people who have plagued your gaming day.

Hex Hex is fore mostly a party game based upon a ticking bomb concept. The hex is a counter that is controlled by cards people play. Many cards deflect the hex counter onto someone else (many times at your choice) and some cards boot or restrict the movement of the hex. If you can’t deflect the damage you take points off of your ‘voice’ score which is used to establish the winner at the end of a number of rounds.

It is quite easy, fun and quick with arbitrary decisions being made just for the hell of it. The card stock is good quality and will hold up against many beer spilling situations (especially when you have to drop your cards and raise your hands on the Hex Hex card).

One of the great rules of the game is when a complete round is finished the winner can make up a new rule for the next game. This adds some very strange twists to what already is quite a chaotic game. One I would like to try is that the Hex adds points rather than takes them away but you must deflect if you can.

Leader bashing is normal but often personal rivalries infiltrate the gameplay making this a hugely entertaining game when a couple of people are getting each other by the throat. One of the major problems I found is that if no-one hexes you, you can end up sitting there for ages neither winning (or losing) points. I had a period like this in a game and so on downtime it can accumulate quite a bit if your not involved in a direct rivalry with someone. Then again if you are picked on it can get a little dull.

Still, overall the balance is there, its fun, light and a great party game.

Thread: Re: HEX Spice

Shijuro — 2008-08-06T20:46:26+00:00

Great suggestions, thanks Kevin!

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amwiles — 2008-07-25T15:28:36+00:00

Box Front - High Quality

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willdesigns — 2008-07-04T22:48:15+00:00

Uncut Sheet Tokens

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wilsonza — 2008-06-29T17:58:56+00:00

Playing Hex Hex Demo @ Origins 2008

Thread: Re: Drafting variant - adds a nice touch of strategy

aboveriver — 2008-06-20T05:06:12+00:00

Just got our Hex Hex game. Look forward to looking into your variants.

Thread: Drafting variant - adds a nice touch of strategy

darker — 2008-04-23T16:58:53+00:00

We enjoy playing with a short draft after each deal, and find it enhances the game greatly:

1. Deal five cards to each player;
2. Each player keeps one of the cards they were just given, and passes the remainder left;
3. Repeat #2 four more times.

Only after each player has assembled their final hand are "play immediately when dealt" cards resolved. If a player has the card which allows them to carry over cards from the previous hand, they simply "pass" (don't keep a card from what they were given) once for each card carried over, so that they end up with the same hand-size as everyone else.

In addition to giving one some choice over the composition of one's hand, and making it less likely that some player gets stuck with a homogenous hand (eg, nothing but Turn Aside Lefts), the drafting means everyone has some (incomplete!) knowledge about what else is out there. You can pursue defensive strategies (eg, try to deny the player to your left Turn Aside Rights) or offensive ones, or toolbox-y ones. At the same time, players who don't want to put a lot of thought into it don't have to; they can just grab the most appealing-looking card.

It's well worth the slight lengthening of each hand, and doesn't dilute the "take that!" nature of the game at all.

[We also play mixed Hex Hex + Hex Hex 2, with a small number of Turn Aside Right / Turn Aside Left / Deflect Across removed from the mix.]

Thread: Re: HEX Spice

Geekalicious — 2007-05-12T01:34:59+00:00

Another way we have played is to use a double deck of HEX●HEX cards. Since players keep leftover cards for the next round, keep playing rounds until the dealer runs out of cards to deal. When that happens, the dealer announces the final round, all players discard their hands, and the dealer re-shuffles and re-deals the final hand fresh. The player with the highest score at the end of the final round wins.

~KD

Thread: HEX Spice

Geekalicious — 2007-05-12T01:20:35+00:00

I thought I would share a few “house” rules that we use with HEX●HEX to spice it up a bit:

1. Start each round with 2 Hexes. The player to the left starts one of the Hexes (as per the rules), but also gets to select some other player at the table to start the other Hex.

2. When multiple Hexes are in play, each Intended playing a deflection card sets their card face up in front of them and places the Hex on it. Once the Intended does this, they are now a Hexer, and the Hex is considered to have been passed. Playing “Detonate” before the Intended does this will cause the Hex to go off on the Intended, but playing “Detonate” afterward will cause the Hex to go off after the Hex is passed to the new Intended. If the latter occurs, place “Detonate” card under the Hex and on top of the played deflection card to indicate that the Hex will go off after the Hex is passed. Once all of the Intended have played their deflection cards and become Hexers, all Hexes get moved to the new Intended players simultaneously.

3. “Null” can only be used against the last card played. If multiple cards are played simultaneously immediately before the “Null” card is played, then the player playing “Null” gets to choose which card is nulled. This means that you have to be quick and decisive when deciding to play “Null” since a card is only a valid target as long as it remains the last card played. This also means that you do not want to be the last one playing a card before any pauses in the game or else your card will be a huge target until someone else plays another card. Indicate the nulled card by taking it and placing the "Null" card on top of it.

4. No do-overs… any cards played illegally are immediately discarded.

5. If you have cards left over at the end of the round, you must keep those cards for the next round. The dealer only deals just enough cards to refill everyone’s hand.

6. The game ends when one player has maxed out their score card at the conclusion of a round. Should more than one player have maxed-out score cards at the end of a round, then rounds are played continuously until only one player is maxed out at the end of a round.

~KD

Thread: Re: HEX●HEX Fun!

Geekalicious — 2007-05-10T14:29:26+00:00

I have not yet had the opportunity to play with the HEX●HEX Next cards, but am eagerly waiting for my local hobby store to get a copy. I looked at the HEX●HEX Next website (www.smirkanddagger.com/HexNEXT.htm), and these new cards look to be a bunch of fun.

Our group has found that a double deck (minus the extra "HEX HEX" and "HEX Sign" cards) is quite fun for any number of players up to 10. It does limit the amount of reshuffling, which is preferred by our elder players (arthritis sucks). We typically will not play this game without at least 4 players, and the extra large deck on a four player game almost always means that the deck is not reshuffled before the end of the game.

Thread: Re: HEX●HEX Fun!

JonnyG — 2007-05-10T13:23:38+00:00

Have you played with the hex hex next cards? I've been on the fence, but this review might push me over. I'm just wondering if I should pick up both, or just get one. Also, do you think it handles more players with the combined decks?

Thread: HEX●HEX Fun!

Geekalicious — 2007-05-09T17:25:46+00:00

This game has taken the premier play slot among our family & friends play group, especially during weekend and special family event get-togethers. Why? Simple… both the young and the (a-hem) elders, even those usually serious non-gamer types, can pick it up quickly and get some good laughs in.

I would describe this game as ‘Karmic Hot Potato’; making quick gains at the expense of others will make you a prime target for payback, and gloating over your victory will only compound the devastation coming your way. Unsportsmanlike winners are often schooled in humility by the time the game it put away for the evening, to the great satisfaction of the other players.

The strategic element to this game is not so much in the cards, as most card games are inherently random by nature. HEX●HEX strategy is based upon the effective use of opportunity, the social skills to smooth over your victim’s ruffled feathers, coercive table-talk to make everyone target each other and conveniently ignore you, and well… Karma. If you want complex card strategy in your game, move on to one of the deck builder types. If you want something that anyone can pick up and enjoy as a group, HEX●HEX will easily cover that bill in fun and laughs.

The premise of this game is quite simple. At the beginning of each round, a HEX is tossed into play, and players use their cards to deflect and avoid the HEX. But there is a catch, deflecting and avoiding won’t score you any points, you must try to engineer the game play such that you get the credit for someone else getting stuck with the HEX. It’s a dog-eat-dog kind of game, and your goal is not only to avoid being the meal, you want to be the dog that gets to eat all the dog-food!

As with most group games, the group dynamic typically enhances the game enjoyment. Sometimes this requires a few minor rule refinements to clarify or even change the game slightly in order to maintain the fun factor for everyone. In example, our group dropped the “Deception” card as it gave too great an advantage to the experienced players. We established our own clarification on timing issues for multiple HEX play and the use of special cards such as “Null” and “Detonate”. We also use a double deck (v1.0 and v1.5) to limit the amount of shuffling. All in all, our house rules keep the game premise and core rules intact, while allowing us to make it work best for the group. There is no rule in the HEX●HEX directions that prevent you from doing this, so take the opportunity and tweak the game as you see fit.

I won’t rate this game with a number, but will say that our group has hardly even touched the Uno, Mexican Train Dominoes, Monopoly, and the other ad-nauseam type of games in the last few years out of preference for HEX●HEX. The $ investment in this game has more than returned its value in laughs, screams, accusations, glee, and general back-stabbing fun.

~KD

Thread: Re: German Hex tokens?

Smirky — 2007-01-03T01:51:20+00:00

Hi. Curt from Smirk and Dagger here. When we printed the game, we ran the German edition on the same press run. Looks like they packed the wrong set of tokens in your box. Sorry 'bout that. Won't change game play though. But now you know.

Thread: German Hex tokens?

maelic001 — 2007-01-02T20:23:30+00:00

I recently picked this game up and the Hex tokens were printed in German. The rest of the game was in English. Is this how the game's supposed to be?

Thread: Hex Hex

beri — 2006-12-25T02:29:01+00:00

Hex Hex is an interesting game, somewhat difficult to review.

The game is fun, without a doubt. It's quick to set up and quick to play, and there are lots of cards that mix things up or mess with your fellow players. It's a game where every round feels very satisfying.
It's also very well produced - nearly all the necessary rules are printed on each card. Only the Hex Hex card requires any explanation.

It is also a game where strategy takes a back seat to luck. It's difficult to consistently do well - when your hand is 5 random cards, you could end up with an extremely powerful combination at the beginning of the game, or end up with nothing useful.
In addition, there are many cards that change the scoring, allowing the player who just lost to gain points instead, or to negate the entire round. So even if you've cornered a player, there's no way to guarantee that your attack won't end up helping them.

Unfortunately, the more I play Hex Hex, the less I like it. It's just too random. You might play well for 4 rounds, gaining 1 or 2 points each round, only to be unlucky in the 5th round and lose 12 points from a powerful card.

Hex Hex is one of those games where it's worth it for one player in your group to have the game, but it's not something you're going to be pulling out every time you sit down to the gaming table. It makes a good warm-up or cool-down game, but don't get too involved in it.

Thread: Re: HEX HEX SUX SUX

sodaklady — 2006-11-08T04:54:20+00:00

Ah. I usually play with 3 or 4 players so we end up shuffling only once.

Thread: Re: HEX HEX SUX SUX

Spacehulk — 2006-11-08T02:50:48+00:00

sodaklady wrote:
My rules say to reshuffle only when the deck runs out. The cards from the previous rounds are discarded rather than added to the unused deck. That way all of the cards get used.

That's how we played also, but I've only played in 6 player games were 1/3 of the deck is in play. So, it saves some time not shuffling, but since hands are so quick, it still feels like we needed a shuffle-o-matic

Thread: Re: HEX HEX SUX SUX

sodaklady — 2006-11-07T17:33:02+00:00

My rules say to reshuffle only when the deck runs out. The cards from the previous rounds are discarded rather than added to the unused deck. That way all of the cards get used.

We enjoy this occassionally as a starter or last game. I even bought Hex Hex Next to add even more nastiness.

Thread: HEX HEX SUX SUX

Spacehulk — 2006-11-07T15:26:34+00:00

Introduction:
I enjoy light games I can play with non-gamers or my gaming friends and their wives. I also tend to not be critical of light games that are social, because really the fun level is determined by you and your friends you are playing with so the mechanics are totally secondary to the interaction and social-ness of the game. Even with this in mind, I can’t recommend this game.

The Contents:
HEX HEX is a card game for up to six players. It comes with 94 cards, 6 score cards, 6 score tokens, and 12 Hex tokens. The cards are nice, heavy cards that should be able to easily withstand the limited amount of play this will see the table. The score cards are card sized and much too small for the score tokens used to track your score, making it very easy to accidentally nudge your token to a different score. Good thing it is unimportant who wins, more on that later.

The Gameplay:
First off, there is no ending to the game. Each hand has an end and the game ends when everyone has had a chance to deal a hand, but the game doesn’t really end there, the winner of the last game, gets to make a global rule that impacts the next game, which is to immediately follow.

The game plays like hot potato where a HEX travels around the table being dictated by the cards people play. When the HEX gets passed to you, you get to play cards to get rid of the hex or move it to other players. There are cards that split the HEX into two HEXes or doubles the HEXes damage, which can confuse gameplay unless you really use strict timing. The hand ends when a player is HEXed and is unable to pass or remove the HEX.

The Conclusion:
The game fails because it is too fiddly to be light, and way, way too light to be anything else. It is pure luck with very few choices that impact the outcome. This alone doesn’t sink the game, like I said light games of this have their place and I enjoy them in the right setting. But the fiddly-ness of the turns when there are multiple HEXes out causes undo complexity for a game that should be best while served with alcohol. The other fiddly part is the shuffling and dealing. I swear you spend more time shuffling and dealing than actually playing. It is absurdly ridiculous. Each hand only lasts 2 minutes and then you have to shuffle and deal again, and two minutes later again, and so on, and so on, and then the game never ends, and so on. When I finally do win a round, I make a rule that this game gets to burn in the fireplace.

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Stas — 2006-10-09T18:56:12+00:00

Thread: Re: Silly, yet Engaging

fsumarc — 2006-08-30T14:38:59+00:00

Great review! Spot on! Our opinions of the game match exactly!

Thread: Silly, yet Engaging

sigmazero13 — 2006-08-29T20:54:33+00:00

I got this game in a Math Trade recently, and it's actually been one I've had my eye on for awhile. While I knew it wouldn't have the same depth as games like Twilight Imperium or Runebound, that didn't deter me. I'm in the camp of "I like Fluxx", mostly because it's a game that doesn't require a lot of deep thinking - it can be played more for it's social, casual atmosphere than because of it's actual "hardcore game" value.

While Hex Hex certainly isn't going to be the game of choice, it certainly has it's place in my collection.

As is my norm, I will rate the game in the areas of Presentation, Mechanics, Balance, and Playability/Fun. Each area is scored from 1-10, where 1 is "If someone sold their soul to get this game, they hopefully forgot to wash their soul first" and 10 is "This game could only come by the finest minds working together for the perfect spell."

So, with that being said "HEX HEX - REVIEW!"

=== PRESENTATION ===

For a card game, I think the components that come in this set are very nice. The backs of the cards are adequate: not bland, not overly "loud", but a good match for the game itself. The front of the cards are fairly low-color; black backgrounds, white and gold lettering. For some games, this would be a detriment these days. For Hex Hex, I think it fits perfectly; it gives it a more arcane feel. The runes they use look pretty cool, even if some of them seem to just be random (ie, not related to the card's function). Then again, how do you draw a picture of something like "What the Hex up with that?" Nah, the runes serve just fine.

The text of the cards looks nice, too; not too tiny, not too big, and contrasts well with the background. The cards themselves are good quality, though a little hard to shuffle sometimes, because there are so many cards.

The game also comes with a bunch of tokens; some used for passing the hex around, and others for when the hex transforms or is boosted. Using these makes keeping track of the various game effects very nice and clean. This comes in very handy when a Hex is split into two. The scoring cards are also nice, though I admit sometimes the serpentine score track can be confusing if you aren't paying attention.

All in all, I think for a card game, it's very good quality. Although the game is a bit pricey (when new), at least you aren't gypped by getting a bunch of crappy pieces.

MY RATING: 8/10.

=== MECHANICS ===

The Mechanics of the game are fairly simple. Each player has 5 cards to start. Then one player starts off the game by giving the Hex token to another player and saying "Hex Hex (person's name)"

From there, the player with the hex is essentially trying to get rid of it. He does so by playing one of his cards to "deflect" it or otherwise move it. The most common ways are the "Deflect left", "Deflect right", and "Deflect across", which cause you to pass the card as stated.

If this was the bulk of the game, it would get boring rather quickly, though. However, a good number of cards (a lot actually) do things on TOP of just moving the hex. Some cards "boost" the hex, making them more potent when they finally go off. Others force the hex to move around the circle in a certain way. Others allow you to choose where it goes, cause cards to be discarded, and even split into two hexes (which must each then be deflected separately). All in all, you never know WHERE the Hex is going to go.

Granted, this leads to a largely random game. However, I think there's enough strategy to make the game worth playing, but not so much that it becomes a full-fledged game in itself.

A round ends when the hex (or all the hexes) "go off". A hex goes off when the player with the hex cannot legally deflect it. Normally, this causes that player to lose a point (called Voice in the game), and causes the player who targeted him (usually the person who last deflected it) to gain a point. Some effects cause the person to lose more points. Other cards prevent the player from losing ANY points. A variety of cards which are "played when Hexed" make the scoring just as unpredictable as the game itself.

Things get especially interesting when you have two or more hexes in play, due to a card that splits them. Things can get crazy trying to save some of your cards to make sure they go the way you want them to, and avoid being caught with them. You obviously don't want to get caught with both, so you have to try and avoid that.

As mentioned in a few other threads, the Detonate card, which causes a Hex to go off immediately, regardless of whether the player who "has" it can do anything with it, has some good discussion about it. I agree that if played too early, it can kind of ruin a round. However, I've found that the Detonate card works best when multiple Hexes are in play; that way, the round doesn't end, but you can still screw someone over. This isn't always possible, but it does reduce the impact of the Detonate card. And one could always make this a rule, too.

Speaking of "making rules", one of the fun aspects of the game is that after each "game" (a series of rounds), the winner gets to make up a new rule for use in the next game. These rules are cumulative until the group decides to stop playing, and can really be ANYTHING the player dreams up (though obviously if it's too stupid or gamebreaking, it'll just cause everyone to stop playing). Some of the funner rules I've played with include:
- When playing a card that says left or right, if you say the card's name out loud, you must say the OPPOSITE direction (the card still functions as printed, though), or you lose a voice.
- When playing a card, you must say it's initials, not it's full name, or you lose a voice.
- When playing a card, the way the card faces on the discard pile must not be the same as the previous card, or you lose a voice.
- Detonate cannot be used unless there is more than one Hex in play.

Overall, the mechanics are very easy to learn, work quite well, and are just random and unpredictable enough to keep the game from getting stale too quickly.

MY RATING: 7/10

=== BALANCE ===

Well, not much to be said here. The same pool of cards is virtually available to everyone. Thus, the balance of the game depends solely on the luck of the deal. Some hands can leave you without many options, while others leave you with a lot. However, over time, everything seems to balance itself out. Assuming you are playing with a non-biased playgroup, every player has just as much a chance to win as everyone else.

Some of the individual cards are obviously more powerful than others. Ideally, to best use your cards, you want to play cards that prevent or dissuade people from targeting you. One of my favorites is Maddening Compulsion, which forces the hex to move around the circle in one direction only; thus, it makes it hard for the hex to return back to you.

Overall, the game is well-balanced, at least in theory; again, card draws determines the ultimate experience on this.

MY RATING: 8/10

=== PLAYABILITY/FUN ===

This is the key to any game. Though the other factors obviously influence this, if it's not fun to play, the other factors don't matter. This game definitely qualifies, to me, as fun. And it's certainly "playable" - very easily too. Setup takes maybe a minute or two, to shuffle the cards and get everyone seated and deal the cards. The rules are very easy to learn, and the game can be started and stopped at pretty much any time without really "ruining" it; if you have to leave, you don't feel like you are leaving at just the wrong time.

Additionally, it would be possible for a player to jump in mid-game (with the other players' approval, of course), and just start at 5 points. This, overall, doesn't give that player any major advantage or disadvantage, and since the game is so light anyway, the game will eventually end if it DOES.

This definitely isn't a game that you'd devote a full game night to, but it's one that I would recommend as a filler. Since it's a card game, it's pretty portable, so you can carry it with you pretty much anywhere you go.

MY RATING: 9/10

=== OVERALL ===

Overall, I'd recommend this game to anyone who lights light-hearted, fun, easy card games. However, be careful that your group isn't TOO serious; the backstabbing nature of the game could lead to hard feelings if you are. If not, however, you'll be able to just use this as a game to unwind with, rest your brain while still having fun, and generally just have a good time.

MY OVERALL RATING: 8/10

Thread: Re: Left is right, right is left, but not immediately!?!

nerman8r — 2005-07-06T21:05:02+00:00

The second rule is kind of pointless, isn't it? Maybe if there was a penalty if someone actually passed the hex left when the card said left, it would make sense...

Thread: Re: Critical Mass; 5 players; I have sunk to new depths

melissa — 2005-07-02T04:41:44+00:00

From your review, it sounds like nothing so much as Calvinball

Thread: Critical Mass; 5 players; I have sunk to new depths

Friendless — 2005-07-01T15:05:55+00:00

My mate Pauli came along to Critical Mass for the first time tonight, bringing along his two daughters, Zoe aged 9, and Gabby aged 7. Now Pauli is a smart cookie, and I knew he would have trained these girls well, so I knew to respect their abilities. Pauli also invited Bertie Beetle, an experienced game player that we went to university with.

Players: Pauli, Zoe, Gabby, John, Bertie

Pauli explained some of the rules, probably all of them, and after mentioning hot potato it sort of made sense. Zoe and Gabby were running around the room, so it was important to start. So the hex started flying all over the table, while I was reading the cards to try to understand what was happening. I had a Ward, so I played it, but of course Pauli had a Dispel or something like that, so I wasn't as safe as I thought I might be. A shame, because my instinct in new games is always to play defensive and attack when I know what I'm doing.

I was seated between the two little girls, and although they weren't picking on me, they knew what they were doing and I didn't. I tried to put Gabby under pressure (yeah, I am not too proud to pick on little girls) but she always had an answer. Like a Doubleback Not-Nullable Hyper-Mega-Exploding Booster or something. It was all kinda quick. I tried to put Pauli under pressure, but he played a Doubleback and two Detonates, which was kinda funny except for the bit where I lost voice.

About the time when I knew what I was doing, the game ended.

Scores: Gabby 7, Pauli 7, John -3, Bertie -3, Zoe 2.

Because there was a tie, we played another hex, which Zoe cancelled or something. So we played another hex which everyone directed at Pauli and Gabby ended up winning.

But wait, there's more. This meant that Gabby got to invent a new rule, and Pauli had a list of potential ones handy. Gabby decided that anyone that pointed lost a voice.

So we went into the second game, where things were even more chaotic and uncontrollable, and stuff kept blowing up. I began to think that almost as many bad things happen in this game as in Talisman. In particular, Pauli sent a hex my way, and while I was reading the card that I could use to do something about it, he called Hex Hex (I told you he was a smart cookie, did I mention merciless and vicious?). So everyone was sitting there with their hands in the air while I was still reading the card, and these two little girls are Whipping My Butt.

So I think Gabby won the second game. I was on -10 or less after a failed challenge against Pauli, and the score didn't really seem relevant to me.

Overall, I quite liked this game. It's like Uno with better cards and more special abilities. But I don't wanna play with Gabby any more, she's too good.

Thread: Left is right, right is left, but not immediately!?!

thoia — 2005-06-08T13:59:14+00:00

After our rousing game of Acquire we brought out the quick Hex Hex to wrap up our night. We managed to get in two full games and establish two new, exceedingly crazy rules for the deck.

The players were Morgan, Paolo, his friend Allen, Caz and myself. Hex Hex was a new game to both Allen and Caz but as it's a pretty easy game to teach we were ready to go pretty quickly. The only rule so far established on my deck (we usually play with Morgan's deck) reads as follows: "If player with highest voice you are, speak like Yoda you must else 1 voice lose you will." Seemed like a good rule to me and I was'nt even the one who made it. Still it got a lot of groans from the crowd playing. Discussion over whether or not you had to mimic the sound of Yoda or just rearrange your sentences ensued and we decided either would work.

Bitter rivalries sprang up quickly in the first game between both Paolo and Allen and Caz and Allen. Caz still holding a grudge from the previous game of Citadels. Never the less the game forged ahead as Hex Hex games do some rounds going quickly in the first card or two and other lasting to the bitter end. Allen was able to pull a victory off in his first game despite his ever devious opponents, he managed some really nice plays including the excellent What the Hex Up With That card and a Theft of Thought when he had no other cards left. As victor he established a new rule for my deck that reads: "If any card states that the hex moves left or right the player must read the cards as written then pass the hex to the opposite direction." We surmised before playing game the next game that this would be a frustrating rule.

So the cards were gathered, shuffled and a new game began. For whatever reason I seemed to be the target of players fury this time, having my Hex Sign card Nulled, then after playing my last card I was pounced on with a boosted hex, and a twained hex making me lose 4 voice in one swoop. My Deception card was challenged twice, once I was right, once I was lying, after all that however I still managed to end the game 1 voice which I thought was pretty good given the amount of damage I took all over the board. Still I didn't come close to winning, it was Paolo who managed that and though long and hard to come up with his rule. It read: "When any card has you move the hex specifically to the left or right, skip the first player and move it to the next locigcal player in line." Coupling this with the previous rule is making for a very difficult deck indeed, it should be interesting to see where we go from here.

Thread: Re: Session Report

sloan66 — 2005-05-05T20:57:35+00:00

Kudos. Very well done.

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Terraliptar — 2005-05-05T15:25:34+00:00

Sample Hex Hex cards

Thread: comments

maxo-texas — 2005-04-25T03:55:24+00:00

Similar feeling to "Management Material" which made everyone laugh a lot more (30-40 year old crowd).

Lacked a certain "Zing" but we were saying "hex hex" and lifting our hands while playing other games the rest of the con.

It's not a bad game but there are many other better games so I would play it infrequently.

Thread: Re:Session Report

thoia — 2005-04-23T16:57:31+00:00

ValJor (#479060),
Right on! I apprecaite it.

Thread: Re:Session Report

ValJor — 2005-04-22T22:50:45+00:00

Hi Neil!

Very nice SR, I chose it to be one of the winners this week of my Excellence in Session Report Writing Award. See this geeklist:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist.php3?action=view&listi...

Thread: Session Report

thoia — 2005-04-21T14:50:22+00:00

(The sound of non-descript intro music)

"Good evening I'm Roger Neusome and this is channel 42 news at noon. Our top story five people found dead gathered around a kitchen table, all were apparently a part of a cult. It is not presently known if others were involved, we take you now to Sarah Tuckman reporting live from the scene."

"Thanks Roger, this is Sarah Tuckman and I'm outside the apartment here in Gainesville Florida where this tragic game of death unfolded. Details are sketchy at best as to what transpired but from what police tell us there are indeed five victims 3 males and 2 females. I spoke earlier with Deputy Wannadonut who confirmed that the bodies were all found seated at the kitchen table with some sort of summoning device, I'm really not...hold on a minute something's happening...someone is running up towards the house. I'm going to see if I can get in close."

(A young man panting runs towards the open front door of the apartment only to be intercepted by Deputy Kruller.)

"Hold up there young man, you can't go in there."

"Those are my friends in there, I have to help them."

"Hang on a minute, let's just calm down and talk this over a bit..."

(Whispering)

"Roger, I've got a good vantage point here and as long as the police don't see me I should be able to get all of this conversation, let the station manager know we are going to report this live and in it's entirety, cancel all station breaks." (and even quieter but still slightly audible) "Here comes my Emmy!"

"...they were there playing a game, I can't remember exactly...'

"You were here tonight son?"

"Yeah, I was but I hadn't played the game so I just sat out, figured I'd play next time."

"Mmmmm Hmmm go on."

"Well the game belonged to Morgan"

"He's the head of the cult then?"

"What!?!"

"Nothing go ahead."

"Well he brought it out and began to deal the cards, everyone got their five and began playing. Next thing I know hexes are being thrown around, and detonated and ...."

"HEY! What are you doing there!"

"Roger it looks like I've been spotted and going to be run off with the rest of the press. We will just have to wait for a press release."

"Thanks Sarah good work out there. Well on a lighter note..."

(About 10 minutes later)

"Sorry to interrupt you Sam, but we've got a breaking news from Sarah Tuckman outside the apartment, the site of the tragic cult deaths last night, Sarah what's the situation now?"

"Thanks Roger, we have been informed that Sgt. Bavarian will giving us a press release very soon."

"Ladies and gentleman can I have your attention. I'm Sgt. C. Bavarian of GPD. It appears that the events that took place were indeed some sort of cult actions as hexing materials were found all around. The victims were name Marshall, Morgan, Paul, Christi and Jennifer. What we have determined from forensic evidence and eye witness accounts is...quite bizarre indeed. Apparently these assumed friends began to dabble in the dark arts and were busy throwing hexes around at each other. This all started innocently enough and each victim was given the same amount of what is being called "voice" in this deadly game. We are not sure if this is a phenomenon we can expect to see more of in the future or not. I'll take a few questions now...ummm you."

"Thank you sir, Paul Blabber channel 12 public access, is apparent who the first victim was?"

"Yes it from the evidence on hand it was Morgan who was quickly targeted first. His voice rating card indicated that at the end of the ordeal he only had 1. Marshall apparently took quite a beating as well before a hex was detonated upon him leaving him with only 1 voice as well. Jennifer and Lee both fell victim to what is being called a 'Hex Hex' as they were the slow to react in these cases and lowered their voices tremendously. Jennifer had a voice of 5 while Lee only managed a voice of 2. An eyewitness has told us however there was another person involved by the name of Neil, who we are presently looking for. We believe his voice card would have been the one that displayed a rating of 8. The scene is one of savage brutality like none I've witnessed in over 20 years on the force. You in the back."

"Yes sir, Virginia Long, Gainesville Mullet Wrapper, You said you are not sure if these event will continue or not, does that mean there is evidence that we might see this happening again?"

"Sadly yes. Next to the chair we believe to be occupied by this Neil was a slip of paper that was numbered. Each number had a sentence next to it written in different colors of ink. There were only a few sentences however the last entry was written using a the same pen we found next to the paper. The sentence read 'All players with a voice of 1 must stand to play until their voice rating is changed from 1.' We believe this is in direct result of two of the victims having had 1's and assume that at least one of them was at this rating for quite some time. One more, you. It is interesting to note that right above that the sentence says 'Any player caught scratching will lose 1 voice point.' After further investigation Lee, Morgan and Paul all were found to have red welts on them as they work in a fireant research facility at the University of Florida. This was definitely targeted at them at some point."

"Thank you, Sarah Tuckman channel 42 news. *wink* Can you give us an idea of how things went in there or it too early to tell."

"Well the eye witness is unreliable as he states he was ordering a pizza and watching TV for most of the ceremony but what is obvious is that Paul tended to force others to discard cards frequently and even duplicated a hex once deflecting it to both Jennifer and Neil. This might explain the level violence placed on him as well. It appears Jennifer was troubled with feeding a baby which slowed her reaction time to the Hex Hex, Christi played mildly but managed to keep hexes off herself easily enough. Morgan was never really given a chance to get his feet under him and Marshall looked to have been aggressive and aggressively attacked for it, tossing hexes across the board to Lee who quickly put them right back time and time again. Still the most cunning must have been Neil who seemed to be able to make alliances and yet not make enemies. No hexes at all managed to stick to him yes he successfully stuck hexes across the table to Lee, and to his right on Paul, and even managed a detonate on Morgan and the Hex Hex that caught Jennifer off guard. That's all for now."

"Well there you have it Roger, until police find this Neil..."

"One other thing before you all go. Despite the level of violence inflicted from these hexes exploding and settling in on the victims, they were all found with literal grins on their faces and their eyes glazed over with enjoyment."

"I think that says it all, Sarah Tuckman, channel 42 news. Back to you Roger."

Thread: User Review

thoia — 2005-04-21T13:48:27+00:00

Fans of game such as Lunch Money, Guillotine, Bang! and of course Nuclear War, take heed. From a company named boldly enough Smirk and Dagger comes Hex Hex which touts itself as "the ultimate mean-spirited, fast-playing, "stab-your-friend-in-the-back" card game." From my experiences with this game and the ones I mentioned above I have to concur. This is a savagely brutal game that is designed to do nothing but lets you be completely mean to your friends, and to that rate I very much like it.

I don't see much value is reviewing a game that already has a review by the great Tom Vasel but if I may be so bold I do see one minor flaw in his assessment of the game. His description of the game, mechanics and even most fine nuances are for the most part deadly accurate. The only part of his review that I take exception to is his statement about the 'Detonate' card being able to ruin a round by someone playing it in as their second card. Here let me back peddle just a little and give you an idea of the game, if you want the real deal details check the aforementioned review by Tom Vasel...he's the man when it comes to reviews.

The game is played in a number of rounds equal to the number of players +1. 5 players means 6 rounds, 6 players 7 rounds etc. A starts with 5 cards in each players hands. There are few cards that must be played before the round begins (as stated on the card) which have lasting effects usually in that players favor. (My favorite is 'Deception' which allows the player to play his cards face down. He must still announce to the group what the name of his card it, then take it's action. Any player may then challenge him, if he lied about his card he loses voice points, if he told the truth the challenging players loses voice points. A very fun little card.) Play begins with 1 player hexing any other player of their choice. This is done by saying "Hex Hex" plus the name of the player you are hexing and handing them a standard Hex tile. That players goal then is to use one of their cards to pass the hex to any other player. The cards will do various things like pass left, right or across and some have some added features to spice the game up, but you get the idea here. Bottom line if the player has no cards or for some other reason can not pass the hex off him, then he loses a voice point, the player that played it to him gains a voice point and if no other hexes are in play the round ends.

So this brings us to the 'Detonate' card I mentioned. This card states that the player may pass a hex to another player, explode it on them and that player may not play any cards. This causes the player to lose 3 voice points. Granted on first observation this seems a bit unfair. The card does indeed state it can not be your first card during a round. Tom's argument was it could still be your second. Yes that's very true but given that it's not THE second it's YOUR second this means other players are going to be playing cards. Still I agree this can be a round ruiner, however once this round is over the 'Detonate' card is discarded (there are 2 in the deck) and removed from play until the deck has to be recycled.

Here's why I think it's not a game spoiler. First off, this is a game of revenge. Someone detonates on you, chances are real good you are going to target that person heavily next round. A spoiler player probably isn't going to be having as much fun after they spoil as they did before. The game is simply designed to punish those who annoy to much. Next point. If it does spoil a round so what, the round is over and the next round begins. If it spoils the last round...well all you can really say is well played. Chances are good that drawing a detonate last round while you are in the lead is about the best you can do with any hand! Finally if this card does prove to be a card you don't like the game can be altered. That's right at the end of every game the winner gets to make up a rule that stays with this particular version of Hex Hex. (IE you put a hex ON the deck that can only be removed by another winning player hexing your hex.) So the rules of the game grow and develop. Some of my thoughts for working with this card would be to rule that "Despite the 'Detonate' card's instructions the player may play 1 card." This would give the player the option to play the 'Null' card which obviously nullifies the previous card played or even the mighty 'Hex Hex' card. 'Hex Hex' states that the player who plays is says "Hex Hex" all players must drop the cards in their hand on the table and lift their hands above their heads, the last player to do so loses voice points, and the round ends ignoring the hex token. Both these cards save a person from detonate. Other options are open (even removing the card from play as done by an additional rule from a game winner) just use your imagination.

I love this game. Never have I played a game more absurd and ridiculous rules that just don't look like they would play well at all. Yet you put them all together and you get sheer delight and amusement. This game is NOT for the hardcore gamer as you are going to finish 5 rounds in 15 mins. It's also not for the rule-monger as the rule of adding rules will upset them easily. Don't let this run you off though, if you have ever appreciated the games I listed above Hex Hex is probably the best of the bunch.

Thread: Re:User Review

thoia — 2005-04-21T12:32:22+00:00

TomVasel (#51750),

Yet another fantastic Tom Vasel review, even on a game and simple and concise as Hex Hex! Thanks man, your reviews have been the source of most of my game buying decisions. If I need to know something about a game I know to check your profile first.

Thread: Re:User Review

Gordon the Green — 2005-04-16T00:06:54+00:00

Teleolurian (#48800),

That reminds me of a game we played when "Hex Hex!" was yelled out, one player was so shocked he threw his cards all over the room. Haha

Thread: Re:User Review

Gordon the Green — 2005-04-15T23:57:33+00:00

Milarky (#467823),

I think that from your post it sounded like you were ending a round with multiple hexes as soon as one hex detonated. In fact you go through all of them, this makes rounds last a bit longer.

The one thing that many people don't pay attention to that a new rule is made after each game. If you'd rather have more hexes going, make a rule that the round starts with two.

Thread: User Review

Milarky — 2005-04-05T17:32:54+00:00

after several plays this game gets no better.

a lot of cards in your hand get wasted when another player just detonates the hex,
so your evil plans are just out the window theres not much point storeing your good cards as they get suffled away.

haveing 2-3 hex's going around the table does not realy increase the fun factor,just increae the likey hood of a detonation,

I belive the idea is to charge up the Hex, but this very rarely happened

only once in several game was there a 4 point hex that just got dispelled so all the hard work getting it up to 4 was gone.

I would not introduce this to none gamers not only because of the game play but also the name,gaming / well roleplaying in perticular allready suffers from association with devil craft nameing your game HEX HEX though a very cool name will not make worried parent pick up the game for there children.
as well as the description on the back talking about backstabbing, and its wiccan type style of the art work.

(though the art work and theme i like, i just think it limit who you might beable to introduce it to, where as a more comical graphic might open up players)

though good idea i think some of the cards should be removed, or more simple left right cards added, so that th especial card do not come aroudn as often, and less detonation and dispel cards.

There is not realy any stratgy involved, its all very luck based and what you get in your hand, though i did like the ganging up aspect of the game, but this ganging up can kill the game for the victim who will not want to play again.

one other good feture to metion was th eidea that you might get a role card, on erole which you can play yourcards face down and bluff what your playing inperticular but theres little incentive to use this as the penalty is high

i wish i kept the box so i could try and sell this game on.
It'll never come out of my wardrobe again.

the one and only thing i do like was the stylish art simple art but as i said above it may scare soem people away who may think its tarrot or the like.

Thread: User Review

TomVasel — 2004-09-02T23:13:25+00:00

I was able to demo Hex Hex (Smirk and Dagger Games, 2004 - Curt Covert) at Origins 2004, and immediately knew that the game was for a certain niche group. The game that we played was wild; and while I played many good, solid games there, some of the funniest moments of the convention came during my playing of Hex Hex. I was pleased to bring home a copy and realized that the game had great potential, especially among my teenager game group.

Hex Hex doesn’t pretend to be a game of deep strategy, rather it’s a blatant “take-that!” game, where players try to explode a “hex” that is being passed back and forth between players. There is some strategy in the game, but it’s mostly just a fun time of passing, multiplying, and blowing up a hex (or two, or three) in someone else’s face. The game has a minor annoyance in that some hands end entirely too quickly, but a simple rule variation makes the game much more interesting. Kids pick the game up very quickly, and it makes an excellent game to play before or after the main event. It’s especially good in being a game that someone could join in the middle and not disrupt the flow of the game.

A deck of ninety-four cards is shuffled, and five are dealt to each player. A pile of hex tokens is placed in the middle of the table, and one “normal” hex is given to the starting player. Each player also gets a “Voice” card, with a track from “-13” to “21” on it. A voice token is placed on the “5” space of each players card. Each player examines their cards, because a few of them say, “Play immediately when dealt”. These cards give that player a larger hand or a special ability. In any case, the starting player attacks another player with the hex by naming that player and passing the hex token to that player. The player then has the opportunity to play a card from their hand. There are several different kinds of cards:
- Basic Deflections: These cards make up the majority of the deck. They deflect the hex away from that player either right or left, or possibly across the table to another player.
- Enhanced Deflections: These cards also deflect the hex away from the player but do a variety of things. For example, one card splits the hex into two, another hex token is placed on the table, and both hexes are passed around at the same time; with the affected players playing cards simultaneously. Other cards “boost” the hex, and a “boosted” token is placed on top of the hex, showing that it has increased in power. Still other cards deflect the hex to a certain player, while resolving some other action (like causing all other players to discard a card).
- Counter Hexes: These cards can be played to cancel cards other players play, dispel a hex, or - best of all - detonate the hex in someone’s face.
- Maddening Compulsion: This card changes the hex to a maddening compulsion hex (a new hex token is placed on the table), which travels in the direction specified by the card (right or left). Each player must send the hex in that direction, or it explodes on them.
- Hex*Hex: This card can be played at any time and voids the entire round. Each player must drop all their cards and raise both of their hands over their head. The last player to do this loses three “voice”, and moves the marker on their card accordingly.

If a player cannot play a card deflecting a hex away from them, or someone detonates a hex while it’s in front of them, or they cannot play the proper card when a maddening compulsion; then the hex “goes off” on them. The player who is “hexed” may play a “Play only when hexed” card, if they have any; otherwise, they lose one voice and the person who targeted them gains one voice. A boosted hex causes the loss of one additional voice for each time that it has been boosted. When the last hex in a round goes off, all players discard any remaining cards they have; and a new round begins. The player to the right of the start player becomes the new start player, and five more cards are dealt to each player. After a set number of rounds occurs (usually one for each player), the player with the most voice is the winner! (Ties are broken by playing one more round, with all points doubled).

After a winner is declared, they may make up a rule for the next game, like making all players stand up to play a card, or removing a certain card from the deck, etc., etc.

Some comments on the game...

1.) Components: The cards are very simply designed, with the name of the card at the top, a “hexish” looking symbol, and clear text as to what the card does. After a round of play, most of the basic cards can be recognized by their symbol alone, speeding up game plays. The hex tokens are really nice, because different acting ones (such as boosted hexes and the maddening compulsion hexes) are different colored and are easy to tell apart. I’ve never had to use every hex token included with the game (there are 12), but I’ve come close, and I’m glad they included all of them. The voice cards are feasible, but I discarded the voice tokens the game included and used some small glass tokens instead. Everything comes in a darkly illustrated box that holds the cards okay, but I wish the box had been glued, and that a better method of holding the hex tokens was available. The game fits in the box, but it can be a pain. Still, the good quality cards can take a lot of damage, so I’m fairly pleased with the components.

2.) Rules: The rules are on two sides of a sheet of paper, that’s folded up to fit in the box. Pictures of most of the cards along with detailed explanations are included. The game is extremely easy to teach, and players catch on immediately with what they are supposed to do. No one will ever accuse this game of being “deep”; and even though the game says “12 and up”, I feel confident that children aged seven or older could easily handle it.

3.) Theme: I realize that some people wouldn’t be too pleased with the “hex” theme of the game. But in reality, the theme isn’t that big of a deal. When we play the game, we treat the hex tokens as if they are basically little bombs going around the table, and “voice” basically equals hit points. When viewed in this light, the game is also easier to understand.

4.) Potential Problems: Some cards state that they cannot be played as the player’s first card. This would include “Detonate”, because if a player used that card immediately, there is basically no round; and players would have been dealt a hand for nothing. The problem lies within the fact that a player can play these types of cards as their second card, and that can be almost at the beginning of a round to begin with. This can get annoying to all players, because it’s really not a lot of fun to get dealt five cards, and then never get a chance to use any of them. Fortunately, with a large group, this problem can easily be solved - just start with two hexes. If one is dissolved quickly, the other one is still around. In fact, the designer told me that the number of cards dealt and number of initial hexes can be changed to get the speed of game play to where the players desire.

5.) Fun Factor: The game is a lot of fun. Frankly, the strategy factor isn’t that great, as most of your decisions consist of deciding which player to send the hex to. But the game can be a lot of fun, and threats and yells usually accompany the playing of most cards. The game calls itself “delightfully mean-spirited”, but I can’t imagine anyone with a mean spirit even wanting to come close to the game. It reminds me a lot of very simplistic games such as Family Business, or other card games where players can “attack” one another. It’s a lot of fun to play, and makes for a great introductory filler for a game night.

Hex Hex is primarily going to be a hit with the “non-gamer” crowd, as its ease of game play and simplistic strategy probably won’t appeal to those seeking something heavier. But it’s incredibly fun to throw hexes, or bombs, or whatever you call them at one another. When people watch the playing of the game, they want to jump right in, and it’s possible with Hex Hex. This alone makes it worth it, as the game is fairly inexpensive; and I recommend it for anyone who needs a quick, loud, fun game that they can introduce people to gaming with.

Tom Vasel
“Real men play board games.”

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tpancoast — 2004-08-30T02:05:17+00:00

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tpancoast — 2004-08-30T02:05:14+00:00

Thread: User Review

Teleolurian — 2004-08-13T00:04:45+00:00

Picked this up at the local Hobbytown for play with my wife and her two cousins (11 and 12, both girls). Honestly, the first thing I thought of when I read the rules was either Uno or Hot Potato.

Components: 3/5
Nothing special here. The cards are decent, though not superior to other cards in any particular way. There's nothing in the way of artwork- just vaguely runelike markings on the cards. There are punch-out hex tokens and triangle tokens (the leftovers from the hex card) to mark your Voice points on the voice cards.

Rules: 3/5
The rules are somewhat vague on the sequence of play; they mention that when there are two (or more) hexes in play, the players with the hexes targeting them (the Intended) both play cards, then the hexes move. As simple as the game is, there is little problem. This game also has the 'make up a rule after you win' rules set, which always leads to some arguments among non-gamers. We finally came up with house rules to state that invented rules have to affect everyone equally, which is a pretty normal house rule (as far as I know).

Sequence Of Play: 4/5
This game is quick and entertaining. Each player draws five cards. At the beginning of each round of play, a different person gets the Hex and plays it on any other player, who becomes the Intended. That player then plays a card to deflect the Hex elsewhere (Pass Left, Pass Across, Duck, etc.) around the table. When you run out of cards you're pretty much toast when the Hex hits you, and some cards require you to play them as soon as you get them for a long-term benefit. When a player can't deflect the hex, they lose points and other players gain points.

Balance And Strategy: 2/5
This is not a game you play for long term strategy or because you're expecting a balanced game. On the other hand, it's a good time-filler when you want to play a light game between two heavy games. Since I optimally like to play games with a large number of strategies, this is a good space filler between games. It's surprising how fun it can be just to play, and the basic rules can be picked up by anyone with a passing familiarity to just about any light card game like Uno or Old Maid.

After every player has had a chance to inflict the Hex upon someone, the final round(s) begin. During this round, the player with the lowest Voice gets to inflict the hex on someone; additional final rounds are played if there is a tie. This is pretty much the only balancing attempt the game has.

Overall: 4/5
It's not perfect by any means, but it is tremendously fun to scream "Hex Hex!" when you play any card, just to watch everyone freak out and drop their hands. If you're lucky, they'll drop them face up, which is a cheesy way to play the game but is the only strategy you'll ever really devise in the game (other than ganging up on the player with the least cards) and suits the light, social, and non-strategic spirit of a treacherous and simple game. (PS- don't try this trick with CCG players, who tend to drop their hands face-down even when suffering from heart attacks).

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Cavetroll — 2004-03-22T00:46:47+00:00

Box cover

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Cavetroll — 2004-03-22T00:46:45+00:00

Box back