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Connect your sides, no draws

Hex online

Play Hex online with a friend or a bot. On a rhombus of hexagons you race to connect your two opposite sides before your opponent connects theirs.

Hex has a property no other board game shares: it cannot end in a draw. It is provable that on a full board exactly one player always has a connection. For a rated ladder that is ideal — nobody can play for a safe draw.

Players2 players
Game length8 minutes
H
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How to play

  1. The board is an 11×11 rhombus of hexagons.
  2. The first player connects top to bottom, the second left to right.
  3. Players alternate, claiming any empty hexagon.
  4. The first player to build an unbroken chain between their two sides wins.
  5. A draw is impossible — a full board always contains exactly one connection.

Strategy

  • A stone has no value on its own. All that counts is whether it shortens the path between your sides.
  • Build bridges: two stones either side of a gap can still be joined even if your opponent plays into one of the links.
  • The short diagonal through the centre is the fastest route. Playing along the edge loses on distance.
  • Blocking your opponent and building your own path are the same thing in Hex. Every good move does both.

Frequently asked

Can Hex really never end in a draw?

Yes, it is proven. For neither player to connect there would have to be an unbroken split of the board, which the geometry of hexagons does not allow.

Does the first player have an advantage?

In theory yes — on a small enough board the first player provably wins. Tournament play uses the swap rule, which is not implemented here yet.

What is a bridge?

A pair of your stones with two empty hexagons linking them both ways. Your opponent takes one, you take the other, so the connection is guaranteed.

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