Game Guide
How to play HexaColony online with friends — game modes, rooms, invites, and settings. This is the help hub.
1.Game Modes
HexaColony offers three game modes.
🎮Individual
- •Players: 3 or 4
- •Win condition: Reach target score (default 10, configurable 7-12)
- •Each player plays independently, first to reach target score wins
- •Tiebreaker: When players are tied on score, whoever reached that score first ranks higher
🤝Team (2v2)
- •Players: 4 (2 per team)
- •Win condition: Team total reaches target score (default 12, configurable 10-15)
- •Team trade: 1:1 resource exchange with teammate once per turn
- •Turn order: the teams alternate one player at a time (the first team is random)
⚔️1v1
- •Players: 2 (choose "1v1" as the game mode)
- •Win condition: Reach the target score (15; configurable 7-18 in Practice and rooms)
- •Our own rules, adapted from the two-player rules by Catan’s designer and other variants: each player starts with 4 settlements, and coins let you force a trade, make an exchange or send the robber to the desert
- •Play it in Free Match, Ranked Match, Solo Play, Practice and rooms
2.How to Play
Choose a play method that suits your needs.
Mode Comparison
| Mode | Opponents | Formats | Rating | Settings | Leaving mid-game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo Play | AI opponents | 4-player / 1v1 | Solo Play rating | Fixed | Counts as a loss |
| Ranked Match | Players only | 4-player / 1v1 | Ranked Match rating | Fixed | Not allowed |
| Practice | AI opponents | Individual / Team / 1v1 | None | Customizable | Anytime |
| Private Room | Friends (you can add AI players) | Individual / Team / 1v1 | None | Customizable | Propose to end the game |
| Challenge | Set AI opponents | 4-player | None (fewest-rounds ranking) | Fixed | Counts as a loss (the attempt is used up) |
| Free Match | Players (empty 4-player seats are filled with AI) | 4-player / 1v1 | None | Fixed | Propose to end the game |
"Propose to end the game": while other players are still in the game you can't leave, but the game ends if everyone agrees.
🔗Private Room
Share an invite code to play with friends.
- Create a new room from "Create Room"
- Share the 6-character invite code with friends
- Friends enter the code in "Join Room"
- Start game when everyone is ready
🤖Solo Play
Rated games against AI. Results affect your rating.
- Select "Solo Play"
- Choose AI strength tier (Beginner to Master)
- Opponents are automatically selected and game starts
🏆Ranked Match
Rated matches against other players. Choose 4-player or 1v1; each has its own rating, separate from Solo Play. No AI opponents.
- Select Ranked Match on Home
- Choose 4-player or 1v1 and start (the game begins once enough players join)
- You can't leave or abandon during a game (leaving the screen switches to auto-play; in 1v1 you lose if you don't return)
🏃Practice
Practice against AI casually. Supports individual, team & 1v1 modes, every AI available. Does not affect rating.
- Select "Practice"
- Choose game mode, settings & AI players
- Start game
⚡Challenge
A biweekly challenge (one week on, one week off) where everyone plays the same board against the same AI opponents, racing to win in the fewest rounds and climb the ranking.
- Select "Challenge"
- Check this week's board and AI opponents, then start (daily attempt limit applies)
- Your rounds-to-win record is saved to that event's ranking
🎲Free Match
Casual games with whoever is online right now. Your rating doesn't change.
- Select Free Match on Home
- Choose 4-player or 1v1 and wait
- 4-player: starts when 4 players join. If 2 or more have joined by the deadline (60 seconds), empty seats are filled with AI and the game starts
- 1v1: starts when an opponent joins (the deadline is 60 seconds; no AI fill)
3.Room Settings Options
Various options can be configured when creating a room.
Target Score
Map Generation
Terrain Distribution(except Fixed map)
Dice Roll
Friendly Robber
Robber Protection(Individual and 1v1; off by default in 1v1)
Team Assignment(Team mode only)
4.Game Speed & Timers
Game speed settings determine the time limit for each phase. If no action is taken within the time limit, an automatic action is performed.
Speed Options
Time Limits by Phase
| Phase | Very Fast | Fast | Normal | Slow | No Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Placement | 60s | 90s | 120s | 180s | - |
| Dice Roll | 10s | 15s | 20s | 30s | - |
| Robber Placement | 15s | 20s | 30s | 45s | - |
| Robber Steal | 10s | 15s | 20s | 30s | - |
| Discard | 15s | 20s | 30s | 45s | - |
| Main Phase | 45s | 60s | 90s | 180s | - |
| Trade Response | 15s | 20s | 25s | 30s | - |
| Road Building | 20s | 25s | 30s | 45s | - |
Timeout Behavior
When the time limit is exceeded, the following automatic actions are performed.
- •Initial Placement: A settlement and road are placed automatically using beginner AI logic
- •Dice Roll: Dice rolled automatically
- •Robber Placement: Robber moved to a random position
- •Robber Steal: Random player is robbed
- •Discard: Resources discarded in proportion to what you hold
- •Main Phase: Turn ended automatically
- •Trade Response: Proposal expires
- •Road Building: Card usage canceled and card is returned
Notes
- •When "No Limit" is selected, all timers are disabled. Trade proposals also have no expiration.
- •When a player disconnects, their timer is paused. After about 30 seconds away from the game screen, they are marked as away (⚠️), and in timed games their turns are played automatically (dice roll and end turn only). Games with no time limit wait for them. Returning to the game screen clears this automatically.
- •When using a Knight card, the main phase timer is paused during robber placement and steal phases. After the robber flow completes, the timer resumes with the remaining time.
- •When using a Road Building card, the main phase timer is extended by the road building time limit.
5.Lobby Features
Features available before the game starts.
Ready
Host can start the game once all players are Ready.
Add AI
Host can add AI players to empty slots. Choose by strength tier for random selection, or manually pick specific AIs. Games with AI players are not recorded in your stats.
Invite Friends
Directly invite online friends to the room.
Share Invite Code
Copy and share the 6-character code or URL.
Team Arrangement
In manual team mode, host can arrange teams via drag & drop.
Kick
Host can remove other players from the room.
6.FAQ
What is HexaColony?
HexaColony is a real-time multiplayer board game you can play in your browser. Enjoy individual games (3-4 players), team battles (2v2), or 1v1 games with friends. No installation required - play on PC or mobile.
What are the rules?
Collect resources, build settlements and cities, and the first player to reach 10 victory points wins. Building costs, trade rates, development cards and the robber are all covered in detail on the Game Rules page.
What happens when a 7 is rolled?
No resources are produced. Any player holding 8 or more resources discards half of them (rounded down), and the player who rolled moves the robber to any tile and steals one random resource from a player adjacent to it. A tile with the robber on it produces nothing until the robber moves away.
Can I play a development card on the turn I buy it?
No. You can play it from your next turn onward, and only one development card may be played per turn. Victory point cards are the exception — they are never played and always count while held in hand.
Do I need an account?
No, you can start playing immediately as a guest. Sign in with Google, Discord, or X to save your match history, use friend features, and view detailed statistics.
How many players can play?
Individual games support 3-4 players, team battles (2v2) are fixed at 4 players, and 1v1 games are for 2 players. You can add AI players if you don't have enough people. You can also play solo against AI in Solo Play or Practice.
How do I play with friends?
Create a room to get an invite code. Share this code or copy the invite link to let friends join your room.
Can I play on mobile?
Yes! HexaColony works on any device with a browser - PC, smartphone, or tablet. Touch controls are fully supported.
What happens if I disconnect?
The game will automatically try to reconnect. After about 30 seconds away from the game screen, you are marked as away (⚠️), and in timed games only your dice roll and end turn are played automatically (no building or trading). Games with no time limit wait for you. Solo Play, Practice, and Challenge are paused and resume when you return. You can rejoin with the same account even after closing the browser.
What happens if I open the same game on more than one screen?
Only the screen (tab or device) you opened last can play with your account. If you open the same game on another screen, such as your phone and your PC, the earlier screen shows "This game is open on another screen" and stops accepting moves. To play on that screen again, press "Continue here" (the other screen then stops accepting moves).
What's the difference between Solo Play and Practice?
Solo Play is competitive - results affect your rating. Practice doesn't affect rating and offers more flexibility: team mode, customizable settings, and every AI opponent are available regardless of your rating.
What AI opponents are there?
19 AI opponents are divided into 5 strength tiers (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, Master). You can choose them in Solo Play, Practice, and Room Match lobbies.
What is Challenge mode?
A biweekly challenge (one week on, one week off) to win in as few rounds as possible. During each season, every player faces the same board and the same AI lineup, competing to win in the fewest rounds. Dice use a card-deck system to even out luck, and attempts are limited per day. Records are posted to that event's ranking.
Can I play with just two players?
Yes. In 1v1 mode, two players compete using our own rules adapted from the two-player rules by Catan’s designer and others (four starting settlements and coins). See the "1v1 Rules" page for details.
Ready? Jump into a game
In Practice games, you can play solo against AI opponents with suggestions from the AI Coach.
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