Horrible Hex Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Game Components
• For Two Players
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • Move (Optional)
  • Score Goals (Only occurs after moving)
  • Place a New Tile (Mandatory)
• Winning the Game
• Three-Player Modifications
• Single Player
  • Objective
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • Move (Optional)
  • Complete Goal Cards (Only occurs after moving)
  • Place a New Tile (Mandatory)
• Gameplay Variants (2-3 Players)
  • Hex Destiny
  • Covert Hex
  • Hexas Hold 'Em
• Movement Details
  • Slide
  • Jump
  • Push
  • Swap
• Movement Key

Overview

Horrible Hex is an abstract strategy game of spatial relationships and tactical foresight for 1 to 3 players. Use the Hex tiles to form the patterns on your Goal Cards while preventing your opponent from doing the same. The first player to complete 3 Goal Cards wins.

Game Components

28 Hex Tiles: There are 2 basic types of Hex tiles: gray with a red star in the center, and red with a gray circle. There are also wild Hex tiles with both symbols. The wild Hex tiles count as both basic tile types. Each Hex tile also has icons along some, none, or all of its sides that show how it can be moved. Movements are described in greater detail on page 3.

26 Goal Cards: Each Goal Card shows a different pattern of 4 Hex tiles. Players must complete 3 Goal Cards to win the game.

For Two Players

Setup

1. Shuffle the Hex tiles and draw 3, placing them face-up in a triangle formation.
2. Shuffle the Goal Cards and deal each player 2 Goal Cards. face-up. These must remain visible to both players at all times.
3. Place the remaining Hex tiles and Goal Cards face-down where both players can reach them.
4. Choose a player to take the first turn.

Gameplay

During your turn, you may choose to move 1 hex tile. After completing tile movement, check both players Goal Cards to see if they have been completed. Lastly, you must draw a new hex tile from the deck and add it to the playing field. The next player then takes his turn, with players alternating until one player has completed 3 Goal Cards.

Move (Optional)

Select a Hex tile in play and move it in accordance with one of its printed movement icons. A movement may not separate any Hexes from the other tiles or change the orientation of a Hex tile. Movements are described in greater detail on page 3.

Score Goals (Only occurs after moving)

After moving a Hex tile, check to see if the Hex tiles in play form any of the patterns listed on your or your opponent's Goal Cards.

A Goal Card is completed if both of the following are true:

1. A group of Hex tiles in play forms the pattern exactly as it is printed on the Goal Card. You may rotate the Goal Card to determine if a pattern has been formed. Wild Hexes count as both basic types of Hex tile.
2. At least one tile in the pattern has moved this turn. Tiles pushed or swapped by other tiles still fulfill this requirement.

Regardless of whose turn it is, when a Goal Card is completed, its owner may place it face-down in front of them to indicate that it has been scored and draw a new Goal Card from the deck. Discard and shuffle all Hex tiles. Setup 3 Hex tiles in a triangle formation and place a new Hex tile to complete your turn.

Place a New Tile (Mandatory)

Placing a new tile never completes a Goal Card. A Goal Card may only be completed after a movement.

Draw a Hex tile and place it on the table face-up, touching at least one other Hex tile in the group. You may orient it any way you wish. Once the tile is placed, its orientation can't be changed. This completes your turn.

If there are no Hex Tiles left to draw; discard all Hex Tiles in play, shuffle them, and setup 3 new Hex tiles in a triangle formation.

Winning the Game

The first player to complete 3 Goal Cards wins. If both players complete their final Goal Card at the same time, continue playing until someone completes another Goal Card. For a shorter or longer game, you can change the number of Goal Cards needed to win.

Three-Player Modifications

1. Each player has only one Goal Card.
2. When a Goal Card is completed, any player who did not complete a Goal Card may discard their Goal Card and draw a new one.

Single Player

Objective

Complete as many Goal Cards as possible. Play continues until the Goal Card draw pile is expended and all Goal Cards have been completed or discarded.

Setup

1. Shuffle the Hex tiles and draw three, placing them face-up in a triangle formation.
2. Shuffle and draw 4 Goal Cards placing them in a line. All new Goal Cards will be placed on the left side.
3. Place the remaining Hex tiles and Goal Cards face-down

Gameplay

During your turn, you may first move one Hex tile. Then, if you moved, check to see if any Goal Cards have been completed. Finally, you must draw and place a new Hex tile. At the end of each turn, the goals in play will cycle.

Move (Optional)

Select a Hex tile in play and move it in accordance with one of its printed movement symbols. A movement may not separate any Hexes from the other tiles or change the orientation of a Hex tile.

Complete Goal Cards (Only occurs after moving)

If your Goal Card is completed, place it face-down in front of you and draw a new Goal Card from the deck.

Place a New Tile (Mandatory)

Placing a new tile never completes a Goal Card; they can only be completed after a movement.

Draw and place a new Hex tile. If no Goal Cards were completed during this turn discard the rightmost Goal Card into the discard pile and draw a new Goal Card, skip this step for the first round.

Gameplay Variants (2-3 Players)

Hex Destiny

Whenever a player(s) complete a Goal Card, do not discard all hexes in play or reset the board. Instead, you will discard only the hex tiles that were part of a completed Goal Card. If this results in more than one cluster of hex tiles the player whose turn it is chooses which cluster remains on the board and will discard the secondary cluster. Goal Cards are replaced as usual and the players turn resumes with the placement of a new tile.

Covert Hex

When a player places a new Hex on their turn (not at game set-up or reset after scoring) the tile is placed face-down instead of face-up. The player who is placing the tile may look at it but their opponent(s) may not. The next player will take their movement turn and score all completed Goal Cards. They will then turn the face-down tile face-up, keeping its orientation and place their own new tile face down. Here is how it would work in a two player game:

1. Setup Game as normal
2. (P1) Movement Action
3. (P1) Place new tile face-down.
4. (P2) Movement Action.
5. Score all completed Goal Cards
6. Turn face-down tile face-up
7. (P2) Place new tile face-down.

Continue until one challenger emerges victorious!

Hexas Hold 'Em

At game setup, draw an additional Goal Card and place it face-up beside the pile of Goal Cards. Any player may score this Goal Card, but only on their own turn. This means that the active player has one more Goal Card than their opponent. If this 'common' Goal Card is scored, draw a replacement Goal Card.

Movement Details

Each Hex tile has movement icons along some, none, or all if its edges. A movement icon along a tile's edge means that you can move the tile in that direction. The way you move the tile is determined by the type of movement icon. A movement does not rotate a Hex tile and cannot result in more than one group of Hex tiles in play.

Note: the printed text reads "all if its edges"; this is transcribed as printed.

Slide

Move the Hex tile into an empty space adjacent to this edge. If there is another Hex tile in the way, you cannot perform this move.

Jump

Pick up this Hex tile and place it on the opposite side of the tile (or tiles) in this direction. The Hex tile can jump over any number of tiles in this way, as long as they are in a straight line, but it must stop at the first empty space it reaches.

Push

Move the Hex tile one space in this direction. If any other Hex tiles are in the way, this Hex pushes them along with it, moving all the Hex tiles in its path one space in the same direction. All Hexes moved with Push may be used to complete Goal Cards. If there are no intervening Hexes, the Push acts the same as a slide.

Swap

Exchange the positions of this Hex tile with the adjacent Hex on the edge indicated. Both Hexes may be used to complete Goal Cards.

Movement Key

This reference sheet repeats the four movement icons above, word for word:

• Slide – Move the Hex tile into an empty space adjacent to this edge. If there is another Hex tile in the way, you cannot perform this move.
• Jump – Pick up this Hex tile and place it on the opposite side of the tile (or tiles) in this direction. The Hex tile can jump over any number of tiles in this way, as long as they are in a straight line, but it must stop at the first empty space it reaches.
• Push – Move the Hex tile one space in this direction. If any other Hex tiles are in the way, this Hex pushes them along with it, moving all the Hex tiles in its path one space in the same direction. All Hexes moved with Push may be used to complete Goal Cards. If there are no intervening Hexes, the Push acts the same as a slide.
• Swap – Exchange the positions of this Hex tile with the adjacent Hex on the edge indicated. Both Hexes may be used to complete Goal Cards.