- BGG rank
- BGG #927
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Blue Lagoon
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,739
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Hex
1942
Rules assistance for Hex
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Hex
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hex is a board game released in 1942 for 2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Piet Hein and John Nash and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid, Connections, and Chaining.
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About the game
Hex was invented by the Danish mathematician and poet Piet Hein, who introduced the game in 1942 at the Niels Bohr Institute. The same year Hex appeared in the Danish newspaper Politiken under the name Polygon. Hein introduced the game to the readers on December 26, 1942 and during the following four months gave them a problem each day to begin with - eventually two days a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The solution would always appear in the following column. It was independently invented by mathematician John Nash in 1947 at Princeton University. In 1952, Parker Brothers marketed a version. They called their version Hex, and the name stuck. Hex has the simplest rules of almost any game: connect your color edges with a path of tokens of your color. There is also a "swap rule" (also known as a pie rule) which compensates for the inherent advantage of the first player. There are a number of resources for Hex on the internet, including several real-time servers. If you want to play face-to-face, used Hex sets are occasionally available, and you can also make your own set. A Battlemat with 1" hexes can be cut into a 15x15 rhombus grid. Standard Go stones also work well for this board. It is also playable as a pencil-and-paper game, like the 3M Paper Game version.
Categories
Publishers
- Parker Brothers
- Hasbro
- (Web published)
- Challenge Master Game Co Ltd
- Fratelli Fabbri Editori (Fabbri Editore)
- Mitra
- 3M
- ABRA
- L. P. Septímio
- Four Generations
- nestorgames
- Oliphante
- Oficina do Aprendiz
- Piet Hein A/S
- Piet Hein & Skjøde
- Brybelly
- The Game Crafter, LLC
- LuduScience
- Kanare_Abstract
- Let's Play Games! LLC
- NewVenture Games
- Skjøde Skjern
- EfcéFac
- Il Leccio
- Henning Bang
Questions and answers
Hex supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Hex is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Hex for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Hex has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Hex belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid, Connections, and Chaining. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Hex are: Piet Hein and John Nash. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Hex as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.