How to play HexCrest
Short answer: leave your land to draw a trail, then get back to your land to claim everything inside the loop. If anyone touches your trail before you get home, you're out. Your score is the biggest share of the island you held.
The rules
- You never stop. You start on a small patch of land with a castle, and you keep moving all round.
- Trails claim land. Off your land you leave a trail. Touch your land again and the trail, plus everything it surrounds, turns your colour. Rivers and mountains count as walls, so they can close a loop for you.
- A round lasts three minutes, or until you are cut down. Finish first by land and alive for a victory.
- Your score is peak land: the most of the island you ever held, as a percentage.
What knocks you out
- A cut: a rival touches your trail, or captures land over it.
- Your own trail: crossing it ends your run. Brushing the last few tiles at a sharp corner is forgiven.
- A head-on crash: whoever is standing on their own land wins. If you're both outside, the one with more land wins.
- Enclosed: a rival captures every tile you own.
- An arrow: an enemy tower shoots your trail. See the towers guide.
When you're out, you lose all your land, and you get a slow-motion replay of what happened.
Boost
Boost makes you 1.6 times faster. A full bar lasts a little over two seconds and refills in six, and you need some stamina left to start one. Boost to get home before a rival reaches your trail, or to cut someone off.
Controls
| Device | Steer | Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard (Direct) | WASD or arrow keys point the way you want to go. Two keys make a diagonal. | Space or Shift |
| Keyboard (Turn) | A/D or ←/→ turn left and right. A tap turns one hex side. | Space or Shift |
| Mouse | You head toward the cursor. | Hold a mouse button |
| Touch (Joystick) | A stick appears wherever your thumb lands. | Hold the ⚡ button |
| Touch (Follow finger) | You head toward your finger. | Hold the ⚡ button |
| Gamepad | Left stick | A, RB or RT |
Zoom with the mouse wheel or a two-finger pinch. P or the pause button pauses, M mutes, and Enter starts the next round. Switch keyboard and touch modes in Settings.
Reading the island
Roads and bridges are fast, forests are slow and hide rival trails from your minimap, and rivers and mountains can't be crossed. The terrain guide covers how to use each one.
A warning flashes when a rival is close to your trail or a tower is aiming at you. That's your cue to head home.
Next steps
Read the beginner tips, try the Daily Island, or just jump in. Your first few matches use calmer rivals.
Frequently asked questions
How do I die in HexCrest?
You are out if a rival touches your trail, if you cross your own trail, if you lose a head-on bump, if a rival captures all your land, or if an enemy tower shoots your trail. Standing on your own land keeps you safe from trail cuts.
How is the score worked out?
Your score is your peak land: the most of the island you held at any moment, as a percentage. It still counts if you are cut down later in the round.
How long is a round?
A Quick Match or Daily Island round lasts three minutes, or until you are cut down. Adventure islands run from two minutes to a little over three.
Can I play with a keyboard, mouse, touch or gamepad?
All four. Keyboard players can point with WASD or the arrow keys, or switch to turning left and right. The mouse steers toward the cursor. On touch screens you get a floating joystick or a follow-your-finger mode. A gamepad uses the left stick.