Hexarchy
- October 19, 2023
- Main Tank Software
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Hexarchy" is a historical turn-based strategy game for 2 players, playable in single-player, multiplayer, co-op, and PvP modes. It combines deckbuilders, 4X strategy, and hex-based board games, allowing players to build their own deck and construct their empire. The game features easy-to-learn mechanics and deep strategy, with a variety of single-player game modes and multiplayer options.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Hexarchy offers a fast-paced, streamlined 4X experience that allows players to complete games in under an hour, making it ideal for those with limited time.
- The deck-building mechanics add a unique twist to traditional 4X gameplay, encouraging strategic decision-making and resource management.
- The game features a variety of game modes and challenges, providing replayability and keeping the gameplay fresh.
- The AI can be unchallenging and may rely on cheating mechanics at higher difficulties, leading to a less satisfying single-player experience.
- Many players find the game becomes repetitive after a few hours due to limited variety in strategies and a static tech tree.
- The user interface and overall polish need improvement, with some players experiencing performance issues and a lack of clarity in game mechanics.
- gameplay214 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its fast-paced, engaging mechanics that blend deck-building with traditional 4X strategy, allowing for quick matches that typically last between 30 to 60 minutes. Players appreciate the simplicity and balance of the mechanics, although some find the deck-building aspect underdeveloped and the time between turns excessively long. Overall, the game offers a fun and innovative experience, particularly for fans of both card games and civilization-style gameplay, despite some minor issues with UI and mechanics explanations.
“The blend of card mechanics, combat that is easy to understand, production that feels more appropriate than something like civilization, and co-op multiplayer is a hard to beat combination.”
“Fantastic combination of deck builder and civilization gameplay bundled in a short playtime that makes jumping into games very fast and fun.”
“The gameplay loop is fun and satisfying despite its simplicity, in large part due to the randomness added by the deck mechanic, which turns what would otherwise be a dull and repetitive combat system into a fun and novel experience each time.”
“Extremely unintuitive gameplay decisions that only hinder the experience, and there is no clear indication that that's how the cards work until you run into such a situation.”
“I should love this game, but the problem is that in the effort to use deckbuilding mechanics to streamline the 4x experience, they just kind of forgot what makes either genre interesting.”
“The 'deck building' element feels a little weak as you are always allowed to burn (trash) cards, which is normally a very powerful mechanic, and adding new cards only comes through 'technologies'.”
- graphics50 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and straightforward, with a low-poly aesthetic that some players appreciate for its clarity, while others find it lacking in detail and polish, reminiscent of older titles. Many reviewers express a desire for more elaborate visuals or options for classic styles, noting that the graphics do not detract significantly from the overall gameplay experience. Overall, while the graphics are not the standout feature, they are functional and contribute to the game's engaging mechanics.
“Good UI, good music, good graphics, and quite engaging gameplay.”
“This is a refreshing mix-up of Civilization 5/6 and Old World in low poly graphics.”
“Graphics are fine, no bugs, overall a great game.”
“And the graphics are poor.”
“Graphics are not great, some details are harder to see.”
“The visuals, sound design, VFX, and UI all feel like they were developed for a phone game and they really suffer on a PC.”
- optimization36 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting long loading times, performance issues, and lag, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some users have not experienced major problems during gameplay, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance the user experience, especially regarding turn processing times and UI responsiveness. Many hope that future updates will address these concerns, given the game's potential.
“I do agree that it takes an unusually long time to load a game than you would expect, but no longer than 10 seconds at most, and during the game, I do not have any performance issues or lag whatsoever.”
“The singleplayer game is a fun hour of optimization puzzles.”
“Performance seems a bit slow compared to what I can see onscreen, but maybe that can be improved over time.”
“Absolutely needs to improve optimization, otherwise it's unplayable.”
“The game appears to be very poorly optimized - even closing the game requires a loading screen of about 20-30 seconds.”
“Again, the gameplay loop is fun, but the time between turns is considerably too long and many actions lead to performance hiccups.”
- replayability30 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits a mixed reception regarding replayability. While many players appreciate its bite-sized format, daily and weekly challenges, and unique gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs, some express concerns about a lack of content and variety in win conditions, which can lead to repetitiveness. Ultimately, it seems to offer significant replay value for those who enjoy diverse game modes, though solo players may find it less engaging over time.
“This is a great little game that scratches the 4x itch in a bite-sized and highly replayable format.”
“Easily the most surprisingly unique and timelessly replayable tabletop game I have ever seen.”
“Replayability is definitely there; whether on single player or multiplayer, with multiple game modes and weekly challenge campaigns, this is definitely worth its current price tag.”
“As a 4X game, it lacks variety in win conditions and thus lacks replayability.”
“It just doesn't have any replay value for me as a mainly solo player.”
“This game suffers from a lack of content and replayability.”
- grinding18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling bogged down by excessive clicking and basic enemy AI. The user interface and lag further exacerbate the frustration, leading to a lack of engaging content beyond grinding challenges. While some appreciate the card system's focus on fewer, more significant decisions, many agree that the overall experience suffers from monotony and a lack of meaningful gameplay variety.
“I tried to enjoy it, but other than grinding the challenges, there is not a lot to really do...”
“You have to get over the fact that you won't be winning via domination victory, but that isn't really that fun in this game anyway (because it becomes very tedious due to the nature of the game).”
“At some point, it gets pretty tedious and it's a lot of clicking next turn.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for enhancing the overall atmosphere and setting the mood effectively. Reviewers appreciate its quality, noting that it complements the engaging gameplay and diverse play-styles of different civilizations. Overall, the music is described as surprisingly good and a significant positive aspect of the game.
“On top of that, the background music sets the mood very well.”
“Good UI, good music, good graphics, and quite engaging gameplay.”
“Fun and fast-paced gameplay where every decision matters, various single-player modes and challenges, multiplayer is good and has a lot of potential, surprisingly good music.”
- stability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed stability experiences; while some enjoy a bug-free experience in single-player modes, others encounter significant performance issues, particularly in multiplayer, with reports of freezing.
“The deckbuilding aspect runs great, and burning cards feels like a meaningful choice.”
“My 8 hours have been fully bug-free.”
“The deckbuilding aspect runs great, and burning cards feels like a meaningful choice.”
“Unfortunately, right now I'm experiencing bad performance in multiplayer, with frequent freezes.”
“Unfortunately, right now I'm experiencing bad performance in multiplayer, with frequent freezes.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as a clever blend of classic 4X gameplay reminiscent of Civilization and the strategic elements of board games like Dominion, featuring amusing Easter eggs that enhance the overall experience.
“A funny combination between a classic 4X game like Civilization and board games like Dominion.”
“Funny easter egg.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is criticized for its lack of depth, featuring only three tutorial missions as a campaign and offering limited narrative options in skirmish mode. Players feel that the randomness of card mechanics prevents meaningful long-term planning, diminishing the overall storytelling experience.
“The 'campaign' is just 3 tutorial missions; outside of that, the only option is skirmish with extremely limited options.”
“You can't exactly plot out your entire future like you can with Civilization, because the cards are coming at you randomly.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its complexity and charm, contributing significantly to its overall value and making it a worthwhile investment for players.
“The complexity is engaging, and the lovely atmosphere makes this game worth the money.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of Hexarchy is not explicitly discussed in the provided text, but users express a desire for the game to deliver on its promise of a satisfying 4X experience within a reasonable timeframe, suggesting that any monetization strategies should align with this expectation of value and enjoyment.
