Simple Hex: A Two-Player Connection Game
Simple Hex is a captivating two-player connection game with straightforward rules, making it easy to learn and quickly master. Players choose either red or blue and take turns coloring empty cells on the game board. The objective is to create a connected path of your colored cells linking opposite sides of the board. The first player to complete this connection wins!
The game offers three modes: Play with AI, Play with Friends, and Pass & Play. The AI mode features three difficulty levels (easy, medium, hard), and the AI can play as either the first or second player. Alternatively, you can play with a friend using separate devices or engage in local multiplayer using the Pass & Play mode.
While easy to learn, Simple Hex presents a challenging strategic depth. An undo button allows you to retract your last move(s) – although this feature is currently unavailable in AI mode.
To balance the inherent first-player advantage in Hex, a "Steal Move" option is included. After the first player's initial move, the second player can choose to switch positions. This forces the first player to make a move that doesn't guarantee a win. Note that this option is also not available in AI mode.
To provide a gradual increase in complexity, we've included three board sizes: 7x7, 9x9, and 11x11.
For more detailed information about the game of Hex, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_(board_game)
We extend our gratitude to interns Saatvik Inampudi and Shoheb Shaik for their contributions to the performance improvements of the AI algorithm in the initial version. The current AI utilizes a "stable" unbounded best-first minimax game technique. For more information on this, please connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nsvemuri/
What's New in Version 0.45 (Last updated December 18, 2024):
- The "easy" AI difficulty level has been adjusted to be genuinely easy, and the "medium" level has been made slightly less challenging.