This is HexaCore, the prototype of a puzzle game I’m working on. HexaCore is a puzzle game in which the player completes line puzzles on a hexagon grid.
The player’s goal is to power all the endpoints in order to proceed to the next level by transporting and converting the starting resources. This is done with the factories provided (on the right) and paths drawn on the board.
Check out the controls under read more and download the demo to start playing!
HexaCore v0_65 (control scheme below)
Controls
This prototype is fully playable with only a mouse. There are keyboard shortcuts (Q and E) for rotating factories. Factories are placed by clicking on them and moving them to a free spot on the board. There is no limit to the amount of factories you can place, other than board space. Here is an overview:
- Left click – pick up and place factories
- Left click – drag on the board to form paths
- Right click – drag to delete anything on the board
- F5 – full board clear
- Q and E (or use buttons) – Rotate factories
Game Philosophy
HexaCore is designed to work solely on internal player motivation, with as little text as possible. It presents the player with a problem, a puzzle, and provides very easy tools to combat the ever more complex problems. Players must discover and internalize the rules of the game for themselves, through interaction with the game.
Testing
Though 30+ supervised play sessions with different players, we tested and refined the design of the game. The game requires players to form theories about the game and is designed to make it very easy to test out these theories. When players get stuck on a puzzle (and they do get stuck), many experience the joy of struggling and working through a problem.
In the first 50 levels, there is no constraint on the sequence of players solution to the presented puzzle. If their solution works, it always works. This helps players to learn the basic mechanics of the game.
In this demo are 65 levels. It would take an average player about 12 hours to complete (although this is highly dependent on the individual player). As such, we usually ask players to just play for as long as they like. Most players play for about 1 hour, with the most common reason for stopping being fatigue.
The current set of levels do not really provide breaks for the player, this is something to improve in future versions of the game.