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 two 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 13, configurable 10-15)
- •Team trade: 1:1 resource exchange with teammate once per turn
- •Turn order: Team A → Team B → Team A → Team B...
2.How to Play
Choose a play method that suits your needs.
🔗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
Serious match against AI. Results affect your rating.
- Select "Solo Play"
- Choose AI strength tier (Beginner to Expert)
- Opponents are automatically selected and game starts
🏃Practice Mode
Practice against AI casually. Supports individual & team modes, all AI characters available. Does not affect rating.
- Select "Practice Mode"
- Choose game mode, settings & AI characters
- Start game
⚡Challenge
A weekly turn-attack mode. Everyone plays the same board against the same AI, 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 the weekly ranking
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 only)
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: Settlement and road placed at random positions
- •Dice Roll: Dice rolled automatically
- •Robber Placement: Robber moved to a random position
- •Robber Steal: Random player is robbed
- •Discard: Resources discarded randomly
- •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. If they reconnect within 30 seconds, the timer resumes with remaining time. Otherwise, AI will automatically take over their actions.
- •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 characters.
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) or team battles (2v2) 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 to save your match history, use friend features, and view detailed statistics.
How many players can play?
Individual games support 3-4 players, and team battles (2v2) are fixed at 4 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 Mode.
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. If reconnection fails, AI will take over after a certain time. You can rejoin the game by accessing with the same account even after closing the browser.
What's the difference between Solo Play and Practice Mode?
Solo Play is competitive - results affect your rating. Practice Mode doesn't affect rating and offers more flexibility: team mode, customizable settings, and all AI characters are available regardless of your rating.
What are AI Characters?
16 unique AI characters are divided into 4 strength tiers (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert). You can select AI characters in Solo Play, Practice Mode, and Room Match lobbies.
What is Challenge mode?
A weekly turn-attack mode. 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 the weekly ranking.
7.Coming Soon
These features are currently in development. Stay tuned for updates!
Matchmaking
Coming SoonRanked and Free matches will automatically pair you with players of similar skill.
Ranked Match Rating
Coming SoonSolo play rating is already live. Ranked match rating using OpenSkill will be added to quantify your competitive skill level.
Ranking
Coming SoonView global player rankings. Aim for the top!