Hex
Build a chain of stones across the board. No draws.
How to play Hex
Hex is played on a board shaped like a diamond and made of hexagon cells. Each player owns two opposite edges. Red owns the top and bottom edges, and Blue owns the left and right edges. The coloured borders on the board show which edges belong to whom.
Goal
Be the first to build an unbroken chain of your stones that links your two edges. The chain can twist and turn as much as you like. Corner cells count for both players.
Turn by turn
- Red goes first. On your turn, place one stone of your colour on any empty cell. Tap or click the cell, or move with the arrow keys and press Enter.
- Stones never move and are never taken. Once a cell is filled, it stays filled.
- Two stones are linked when their cells share a side. Each cell touches up to six others.
- Turns go back and forth until one player completes a chain.
End of the game
The game ends as soon as one player links their two edges. The winning chain lights up on the board. Hex can never end in a draw: if the board were full, exactly one player would have a chain. This is because the only way to stop your opponent's chain is to build your own.
Board sizes
Pick a 7×7 board for a quick game, 9×9 for a normal game, or 11×11 for the classic size used by club players. Bigger boards give more room for long plans. Like the challenge of making lines? Try Five in a Row too.
Strategy tips
- Start near the centre. A stone in the middle helps you in every direction and is hard to block. Edge stones do much less.
- Use the bridge. Two of your stones with two empty cells between them that touch both are as good as linked. If your opponent fills one gap, fill the other.
- Block from a distance. Placing a stone right next to an enemy stone is easy to go around. Block a few cells ahead of where your opponent wants to go.
- Think in both ways. Every stone that blocks your opponent should also help your own chain. The best moves do both.
- Watch the edges. A stone two rows from your edge with two empty cells below it can always reach the edge. Make sure your chain ends close to the edge in a safe way.
Hex FAQ
Can Hex end in a draw?
No. Every game of Hex has a winner. When the board fills up, one player always has a chain linking their edges.
Does the first player have an advantage?
Yes. With perfect play the first player can always win, which mathematicians have proven. To make it fair, club players use a swap rule: after the first stone, the second player may take that stone as their own. This site does not use the swap rule, so take turns going first.
Which board size should I pick?
Start with 7×7 to learn the game in a few minutes. 9×9 is a good everyday size, and 11×11 is the classic board used in tournaments.
How strong is the computer?
Easy mostly plays random moves near the stones already on the board. Medium runs a few thousand quick test games before each move. Hard thinks for close to a second, runs many more test games and never misses a one-move win or block.
