Simple Hex

Simple Hex: A Two-Player Connection Game

Simple Hex is a captivating two-player connection game with straightforward rules, making it easy to learn. Players choose 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 several play modes:

• Play with AI: Challenge the AI at three difficulty levels (easy, medium, hard). The AI can play first or second.
• Play with Friends: Enjoy a game with a friend using separate devices.
• Pass & Play: Engage in local multiplayer on a single device.

While simple to learn, Simple Hex offers a challenging strategic depth. An undo button lets you reverse your last move(s) – this feature is not yet available in AI mode.

Strategic Element: Steal Move

To balance the inherent first-player advantage, the second player has the option to "steal" the first player's position after the first move is made. This forces the first player to carefully consider their opening move to avoid an immediate loss. This option is also unavailable in AI mode.

Board Sizes:

Three board sizes (7x7, 9x9, and 11x11) provide a gradual increase in complexity and game length.

More Information:

Learn more about the game of Hex at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_(board_game)

Acknowledgements:

We thank interns Saatvik Inampudi and Shoheb Shaik for their contributions to performance improvements in the AI algorithm's first version. The current AI uses a "stable" unbounded best-first minimax game technique. For more information, contact me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nsvemuri/

What's New in Version 0.45 (Last Updated Dec 18, 2024):

• The easy difficulty level has been adjusted to be genuinely easy, and the medium level is now slightly easier.