Hex Board Game Online — Build a Bridge Across the Rhombus 6+

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The Hex board game was invented twice — by Piet Hein and by John Nash — and its rules fit in one line: put a stone on any empty hexagon, and win by joining your two sides of the rhombus with an unbroken chain.

Eighty levels take that one line a long way: finish a bridge in a single move, cut the opponent's chain, learn the bridge trick that connects two stones through a gap nobody can break, and then play out matches on 5×5, 7×7, 9×9 and finally the classic 11×11 board against three strengths of bot.

How to play

Tap any empty hexagon to place your stone — you can start anywhere on the board.
Your colour joins the two sides marked in your colour; the bot joins the other two.
Stones never move and are never captured, so every stone you place stays yours to the end.
Block and build at the same time: cutting the opponent's chain usually extends your own.

What your child learns

Connectivity: what makes a chain of pieces one thing instead of many
Defending a link without filling it in — the bridge, the first real abstract idea in the game
Reading a threat two ways at once, since a blocking move is also a building move
Accepting that the position is always decided — in Hex someone has to win

The science behind the games

Every Dad4Kids game is built on one simple truth: children want to play, not study — so we turn learning into a game worth replaying. The method draws on peer-reviewed research in game-based learning, motivation, and how memory works.

FAQ

Can a game of Hex end in a draw?

No, and that is a proved fact, not a house rule: once the board is full, one of the two players must have a connected chain across it. Every game ends with a winner.

What exactly are the players trying to do?

The board is a rhombus of hexagons. One player joins the left and right sides with an unbroken chain of their stones, the other joins top and bottom. Whoever completes their chain first wins.

Can stones be captured or moved?

Never. A stone stays on the hexagon where it was placed for the rest of the game — the only decision in Hex is where the next stone goes.

What is the “bridge” the game keeps teaching?

Two of your stones placed a short gap apart with two empty hexagons between them. Whatever the opponent plays in that gap, you take the other cell and the stones connect — so the link is already safe and you can spend your moves elsewhere.

What board sizes and difficulty are there?

Twenty levels each on 5×5, 7×7, 9×9 and 11×11. Puzzle levels have no opponent; matches face three bots — a greedy one, one that understands bridges, and a strong one on the full 11×11 board.

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By Evgeny Arsentiev, PhD · Last updated: September 2026