Hexa Games

Number of players: 2 to 4

You need:

• The hex grid on your TinkerTime box
• Dry-erase markers of different colours for each player (two are provided in your kit).
• Felt eraser or soft cloth to wipe the grid clean. (The markers in the kit come with a felt eraser).

Goal: Be the first player to capture 15 complete hexagons.

Get ready:

1. Choose one marker each.
2. Use the felt eraser to clear any old marks from the grid.
3. Identify the complete hexagons on the hex grid — ie., the ones with all six sides visible.
4. Ignore any cut-off hexagons around the edge of the box and any hexagons interrupted by the logo.
5. The youngest player goes first. And then the next youngest and so on.

How to play:

1. On your turn, trace one edge of any hexagon with your marker.
2. Check for a capture. Did your line complete all six sides of a complete hexagon?
   • If it doesn’t: Your turn ends. The next player takes their turn.

For example, let’s say it is the orange player’s turn. They can trace any edge, but it will not complete a hexagon. So after they trace an edge, the turn will pass to the next player.

• If it does: Lightly colour the insides of the hexagon. It is now yours. For example, let’s say it’s the blue player’s turn now and the grid looks like this:

Now, the blue player can capture a hexagon by tracing an edge. So they will colour it in with blue.

3. Captured a hexagon? You get one more bonus turn! (You can keep taking a bonus turn until you draw an edge that does not capture a hexagon).
4. The first player to capture 15 hexagons wins.

Note:

• An edge can be traced only once. You cannot draw over an edge that is already traced.
• An edge shared by two hexagons counts for both of them.
• One clever line can sometimes complete two hexagons at once. If it does, capture both and play again.
• Only complete hexagons can be captured.
• When tracing an edge or when capturing a hexagon, colour it lightly so that the printed grid stays visible.

Number of players: 2 to 4

You need:

• The hex grid on your TinkerTime box.
• One dry-erase marker for everyone to share.
• Felt eraser or soft cloth to wipe the grid clean. (The markers in the kit come with a felt eraser).

Goal: Avoid making a strike. Be the last player remaining in the game.

Get ready:

1. Use the felt eraser to clear any old marks from the grid.
2. Identify the complete hexagons on the hex grid — ie., the ones with all six sides visible.
3. Ignore any cut-off hexagons around the edge of the box and any hexagons interrupted by the logo.
4. Choose one marker for everyone to share.
5. The youngest player goes first. The turns then move clockwise.

How to play:

1. On your turn, lightly colour one empty hexagon with the shared marker.
2. Check the coloured hexagons. Did your move create a strike?

A strike is a group of three or more coloured hexagons connected side-to-side. The three hexagons may form a straight line, a bent chain or a compact triangle. These can be in any direction/orientation on the game board.

If you made a strike: You are out and the turn passes to the next player. If there are no possible moves left (and if all players agree to this), the remaining players can erase the board and start a new round.

3. If you did not make a strike: Your turn ends. Pass the marker to the next player.
4. Continue playing until only one player remains. That player wins.

Note:

1. You must colour one hexagon during your turn. You cannot pass.
2. You cannot colour a hexagon that is already coloured.
3. If a move connects four or more coloured hexagons, it still contains a strike and the player is out.

Number of players: 2 to 4

You need:

• The hex grid on your TinkerTime box.
• One different-coloured dry-erase marker for each player. Two markers are provided in your kit. If there are three or four players, you can choose different symbols for each player (like dots, crosses, tick marks, star, etc) if you don’t have extra dry-erase markers from home.
• Felt eraser or soft cloth to wipe the grid clean. (The markers in the kit come with a felt eraser.)

Goal: Be the first player to colour four consecutive hexagons in one straight, unbroken line.

Get ready

1. Use the felt eraser to clear any old marks from the grid.
2. Identify the complete hexagons on the hex grid — ie., the ones with all six sides visible.
3. Ignore any cut-off hexagons around the edge of the box and any hexagons interrupted by the logo.
4. Each player chooses a different-coloured marker or a different symbol.
5. The youngest player goes first. The turns then move clockwise.

How to play

1. On your turn, lightly colour one empty hexagon in your own colour. Or draw your symbol inside the hexagon.
2. You may colour any empty hexagon. It does not have to touch one of your previous hexagons.
3. Try to extend your own straight streak. You can also block an opponent by colouring a hexagon they need.
4. A streak is reached when four hexagons of the same colour/symbol are connected in a row. The streak may run in any of the three straight directions on the hex grid. For example, the following are all valid streaks:

5. The first player to complete a Hex Streak wins.

Note

• Each hexagon can be coloured only once. You cannot colour over another player’s hexagon.
• You must colour in one hexagon during your turn. You cannot pass.
• The four hexagons must be consecutive, with no empty or differently coloured hexagons between them.
• A straight line of five or more also contains a Hex Streak and wins the game.
• When colouring a hexagon, colour it lightly so that the printed grid stays visible.
• If every complete hexagon has been filled and nobody has made a Hex Streak, the game ends in a draw.

Number of players: 2

You need:

• The hex grid on your TinkerTime box.
• Two different-coloured dry-erase markers (like the ones provided in your TinkerTime kit)
• Felt eraser (that comes with the marker) or a soft cloth to clean the game board.

Goal: Be the first player to build an unbroken bridge of coloured hexagons between your two ‘river banks’.

Get ready

1. Use the felt eraser or cloth to clear any old marks from the grid.
2. Mark out an 11 × 11 rhombus on the hex grid. Here’s one way to do it:
   • Choose a complete hexagon to be the first corner.

• Starting with that hexagon, colour 11 hexagons in a straight line using colour 1.

• From both ends of this line, colour 11 hexagons using colour 2.

• Join the outside edges with colour 1 to complete the rhombus.

3. Check that the region contains 11 rows of 11 hexagons. All 121 hexagons must be complete with all 6 sides visible.
4. The marked 11x11 region is your play area. Ignore other hexagons outside it.
5. Each player chooses a marker. Flip a coin to decide who goes first.

How to play

1. On your turn, lightly colour one empty hexagon inside the marked board.
2. The other player can then fill another empty hexagon in their colour. Keep taking turns to do this.
3. Your goal is to build a connected path between your two sides of the 11x11 rhombus. (Hexagons of the same colour are connected when they share a complete side.)
4. On your turn, you can extend your own bridge or colour a hexagon that blocks your opponent’s bridge.
5. The first player to connect their two opposite sides wins immediately.

What counts as a bridge?

• Every hexagon in the bridge must be your colour.
• Each hexagon must share a complete side with the next hexagon.
• Your bridge does not have to be straight. It may bend, turn or split into different paths. For example:

• The bridge must touch both of your marked sides of the rhombus.

Note

• Only hexagons inside the marked rhombus are part of the game.
• Each hexagon can be coloured only once. You cannot colour over or erase another player’s hexagon.
• You must colour one hexagon during your turn. You cannot pass.
• Colour the hexagons lightly so that the printed grid remains visible.
• Bridge Battle cannot end in a draw. Keep playing until one player connects their sides.
• For another round of the game, let the other player go first.
• An 11 × 11 rhombus gives you the full battle. But a 9 × 9 rhombus can be used for a shorter game. You can also try a 7 × 7 rhombus for a rapid game or when learning to play. Whichever size you choose, the board must contain the same number of hexagons along both adjoining sides.

Number of players: 2

What you need

• The Hex grid on your TinkerTime box
• Two dry-erase markers of different colours (provided in your TinkerTime kit)
• The felt eraser that comes with the markers or a soft cloth.

Aim of the game

Capture more hexagons than your opponent.

Get ready

1. Each player chooses a marker colour.
2. Also choose an initial or a simple symbol (like dot, cross, tick, star etc) to represent you.
3. Use only complete, uninterrupted hexagons on the Hex grid. Ignore partial hexagons and the ones covered by the TinkerTime logo.
4. The younger player goes first.

How to play

1. On your turn, choose any empty hexagon. Colour it fully. This becomes your base.
2. Look at all the hexagons touching your base side-to-side. Write your initial or symbol inside every empty one. These become your territory. For example, here are some base-territory scenarios:

3. If a neighbouring hexagon already belongs to either player, leave it unchanged. You cannot capture it again.
4. Once a hexagon has been filled or marked, it belongs to that player for the rest of the game.
5. The other player now takes a turn. Keep playing until there are no empty hexagons left.

Note:

• You cannot place a base inside an opponent’s territory—or inside your own territory.
• You must mark all the empty hexagons touching your new base. You cannot choose only some of them.
• Never colour over or erase another player’s mark.
• A base can capture up to six surrounding hexagons. With the base itself, one turn may be worth as many as seven hexagons.

Who wins?

Count all the hexagons that belong to you:

• Each fully coloured base counts as 1 hexagon.
• Each territory hexagon containing your initial or symbol also counts as 1 hexagon.

The player with the most hexagons wins. If both players have the same number, the game is a tie.

Optional fair-match rule

Play two rounds and change who starts in the second round. Add each player’s scores from both rounds. The player with the highest total wins the match.

Strategy tip

Your choice of base positions may also block your opponent from using the best part of the grid. So choose your bases carefully!

No of Players - 2

What you need

• The Hex grid on your TinkerTime box
• Dry-erase markers (two are provided in your TinkerTime kit)
• Felt eraser or soft cloth
• A 3-minute timer (can set it on a Timer App)

Goal: To find a long route from START to END without visiting the same hexagon twice.

Get ready

1. Wipe the Hex grid clean with the felt eraser or soft cloth. For the game, use only complete, uninterrupted hexagons. Ignore partial hexagons and those covered by the TinkerTime logo.
2. Choose one player to be the Blocker. The other player becomes the Pathfinder.
3. On the hex grid, the Blocker marks any 20 hexagons with an X. But two blocked hexagons cannot be next to each other ie., they cannot share a side.
4. The Blocker marks two more empty hexagons: S for START and E for END.
5. Place START and END at least 10 hexagons from each other.
6. START and END must each have at least two open hexagons beside them. Ie., they cannot have more than 4 blockers surrounding them.
7. Set the timer for 3 minutes.

How to play

1. Let’s say you’re the Pathfinder. When the Timer starts, you start from ‘S’ and draw a trail into a neighbouring open hexagon.
2. Move from one hexagon to another through a shared side. The trail may turn or bend in any direction. But moving across a corner or along the edges is not allowed. For example, here are some allowed and some prohibited moves:

3. Do not:
   • Enter a blocked hexagon.
   • Visit the same hexagon twice.
   • Jump over a hexagon.
   • Erase or change the route after drawing it.
4. You may stop and think, but the timer continues running.
5. The trail ends when:
   • You enter END. Or,
   • You become trapped. Or,
   • The timer rings.

Entering END finishes your trail immediately.

Count your score

Count every hexagon visited by your trail, including START and END (if you managed to reach it).

Change roles

1. Record the Pathfinder’s score.
2. Erase the grid.
3. Exchange roles.
4. The new Blocker places 20 new blockers and chooses the new START and END positions.
5. Play another 3-minute round with the new Pathfinder tracing their trail.

Who wins?

• If only one player reached END, that player wins.
• If both players reached END, the player who visited more hexagons wins.
• If neither player reached END, the player who visited more hexagons wins.
• If both scores are equal, the game is a tie.