Hex

Play Hex free online. Link your two sides of a diamond of hexagons before your opponent.

Hex is a pure connection game with no draws. Red tries to join the top and bottom edges with an unbroken chain of hexagons; Blue tries to join left and right. Play a local computer opponent or a friend on the same device, on a 7×7, 9×9 or 11×11 board.

  • Category: Board
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Players: 1 player vs computer
  • Typical game: about 8 minutes
  • Works on: desktop, phones and tablets

How to play Hex

Objective: Make an unbroken chain of your colour linking your two edges of the board.

  1. Red (you) moves first and owns the top and bottom edges.
  2. Blue owns the left and right edges.
  3. Take turns filling one empty hexagon. Stones never move.
  4. Hexagons that share a side are connected. The first player to link their edges wins — a draw is impossible.

Scoring

A win scores 150 points per board row, minus 10 for each stone you used (minimum 100).

Difficulty levels

Difficulty sets the board size: Easy 7×7, Normal 9×9, Hard 11×11. On Hard the computer also considers your best reply.

Tips

  • Two stones with two shared empty neighbours form a “bridge” that cannot be cut.
  • Blocking from a distance works better than blocking right next to a stone.
  • The centre is the strongest opening.

Controls

Keyboard

  • Tab to a hexagon and press Enter or Space

Mouse

  • Click an empty hexagon

Touch

  • Tap an empty hexagon

Hex achievements

  • Connected – Beat the computer.
  • Hex Master – Beat the computer on the 11×11 board.
  • Straight Shot – Win using at most two more stones than the board has rows.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hex free to play?

Yes. Hex is completely free on GamesPlayLand, with no download, no sign-up and no purchases.

How do you play Hex?

Make an unbroken chain of your colour linking your two edges of the board. Red (you) moves first and owns the top and bottom edges. Blue owns the left and right edges.

Can I play Hex on my phone?

Yes. Hex works in mobile browsers on phones and tablets. Tap an empty hexagon.

Can I play Hex against the computer?

Yes. You play against a computer opponent that runs entirely in your browser, and the difficulty setting changes how strong it is.

Does Hex save my high score?

Yes. Your personal best, statistics and achievements for Hex are saved in your browser automatically.

More games like Hex

  • Backgammon – Race your fifteen checkers home and bear them off before the computer.
  • Checkers – Classic 8×8 checkers against the computer or a friend.
  • Chess – Full chess against a local computer opponent or a friend.
  • Chinese Checkers – Hop your marbles across the star into the opposite point first.
  • Connect Four – Drop discs and line up four in a row before the computer does.
  • Dominoes – Match the ends of the line and be first to play all your tiles.