Hex Effects
Hex Effects Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to Win
Be the first to treat all of your Hexes!
Three Types of Cards
Hexes, Remedies, and Actions.
Setup
Separate the Hexes from the rest of the deck. Shuffle the Hexes and deal out four to each player, face up in front of them. These Hexes are known as each player's Shadow.
No Shadow can hold more than one of the same type of Hex. If you deal two of the same Hex to one person, simply place one of the duplicates on the bottom of the deck and deal them a new Hex.
The rest of the Hexes are shuffled back into the deck which players may now draw from.
Deal out four cards to each person as a concealed Hand.
Turns
Start your turn by drawing two cards. Whoever most recently mixed two liquids together goes first. You can make up to two moves on your turn, but you're not compelled to do anything if you don't want to.
At the end of your turn, you cannot have more than six cards in your hand — place extra cards into a discard pile. Turns move clockwise.
On your turn, you may...
1) Treat a Hex in your Shadow: If you have a Remedy that treats one of the Hexes in your Shadow, you can place it on top of that Hex.
2) Give another player a Hex: Every Remedy has a list of side effects (or hex effects) written under "MAY CAUSE." When someone has a Remedy on top of a Hex in their Shadow, they are vulnerable to receiving any of the Hexes from the Remedy's list. So, if you have a Hex in your hand that another player is vulnerable to receiving, you can add that Hex to their Shadow.
It's important to point out that no Shadow can have two of the same Hex. So even if someone is vulnerable to receiving a Hex, once they've got it, they can't get it again. This includes Hexes that are being treated with Remedies.
3) Give someone a Disaster: Use a Disaster to trigger any of the punishments listed on another player's untreated Hexes.
Take a look at your opponents' Hexes and read the punishments written on them. Once you've found the punishment you'd like to trigger, drop a Disaster onto that Hex. The other player MUST comply. Discard the Disaster after use.
4) Play an Action card: These are special cards that give you special abilities. Read about which card does what below.
5) Perform Alchemy: There are two types of alchemy: one with Remedies and another with Hexes.
If you have three Remedies in your hand that are all different, you may discard all three in exchange to steal one Remedy that is currently being used by another player (i.e. on a Hex in their Shadow). The stolen card goes to your Hand. All of this counts as one move.
If you have three Hexes in your hand that are all different, you may discard all three in exchange for drawing one additional card from the Deck.
Action Cards
Snake Oil: This can cure any Hex! However, if a Disaster is played on any of your other Hexes, you must discard the Snake Oil. It works, but it's fragile. You can win the game with Snake Oil in your Shadow.
Jinx: Play this as soon as you get a Disaster! It will cause the person who inflicted you with the Disaster to also suffer from the same Disaster (immediately after you). Do not wait for your turn to play a Jinx. You must play it as soon as you are inflicted with a Disaster.
Disaster: Trigger the punishments listed on another player's untreated Hex.
Rule Clarifications
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You may make deals with other players, but be sure to adhere to the following decrees:
- You cannot put more than two cards into play on your turn.
- You cannot put any cards into play when it's not your turn, unless the card is labeled "Play Me Out of Turn."
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Place your Remedy on top of your Hex to treat it. Any additional Hexes this causes will go to the side (not on top of the Remedy).
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Performing Alchemy counts as one move, not two. Everything from discarding the right cards to drawing the new one is all one move.
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Discarding does not count as a move during your turn.
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When you run out of cards to draw, shuffle the discard pile and that now becomes the main deck to draw from.
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Discard pile cards are discarded face up.
Quick Rules
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Deal out four Hexes to each player, face up. Shuffle the rest of the Hexes into the deck and deal out four cards to each player as a concealed Hand.
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Draw two cards each turn and make up to two moves per turn.
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Place a matching Remedy over a Hex to treat it. Treat all the Hexes face up in front of you to win.
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If you're treating a Hex in front of you, the list of Hexes on each Remedy card are the Hexes you can receive from other players.
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A Disaster card triggers a punishment written on an untreated Hex. If you're playing the Disaster card, you get to choose which Hex.
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You can also perform two different types of alchemy.
- Remedy Alchemy: Discard three different Remedies from your hand to steal another player's Remedy in use.
- Hex Alchemy: Discard three different Hexes from your hand to draw one additional card.
Hex Key
The Hexes are: Kiss of Narcissus, Piper's Plight, Whisper Worms, Interdimensional Honey, Sentient Slime, Hanahaki, Sinister Spores, and Evil Alter Ego.
- Disaster: Triggers any opponent's untreated Hex.
- Jinx: Inflictor of Disaster suffers from the same Disaster (playable out of turn).
- Snake Oil: Treats any Hex, but instantly gets discarded if you suffer any Disaster.