Hexistentialism Review

Gear Diary is independently owned and operated. We receive compensation through advertising and from the companies whose products we review, usually in the form of the reviewed product. We test the products supplied to us, and the opinions expressed are our own.

Gear Diary is also reader-supported. When you buy through links posted on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.

You can learn more by clicking here.

It is not every day that you come across a truly creative and unique game.  Especially one that can be found deep within the recesses of the iTunes App Store.  Let’s be honest, a lot of the games here, regardless of how good or bad they may be, are derivative or even direct ports and copies of previously developed games.  So. I was pretty excited when I got an email from the folks behind the new game Hexistentialism.

IMG_0442

The basics of this game are nothing new.   It is a matching game.  Find three matches and remove them from the board.  What is new is the design of the game.  Your tiles are hexagon shapes that come in three colors: purple, red, or orange.  Painted on each tile is a symbol.  These are either a circles or half circles, with one, two, or three rings.  You will also notice that they are shaded either white, gray, or half and half.  That makes for a lot of combinations.  Your job is to make sets of three, following a set of defined rules, to remove all of the tiles from the gameboard.

IMG_0440

The good news here is that there is a tutorial, which I highly recommend using.  Along with all of these combinations come quite a few rules about what does or does not constitute a match.   The tutorial is helpful for two reasons.  Not only does it teach you all of the complex rules (one at a time), but it also gives you a chance to ease into the game, and start slowly.

IMG_0444

This is where the game should have started.  With easy, one or two variable combinations, giving you a chance to get used to the gameplay and ease into things.  Instead, when you hit new game, it will immediately take you to the full board with all of the different variables in play.  Yikes!  It would be nice if there was a difficulty setting which would allow you to start with easier combinations, and progress to the more difficult levels.

IMG_0441

Additionally, all of the shapes are variables on the same two shapes: circles and U’s.  They come in different colors, and different numbers, and even upside down.  But still all variations on the same themes.  This can get confusing.  With so many different combinations, can I match a U with an upside down U if they are the same color? (apparently not).  Rather than multiple variations on the same three symbols (resulting in nine different symbols, each of which has three color schemes for 27 combinations), it would be nice to see more variation in the symbols.

Nonetheless, I found gameplay to be at once frustrating and exhilarating.  It provided a challenge, which left me completely addicted in no time.  While it sounds like finding combinations of three matches should be no problem, keeping track of the various rules and potential combinations can be far more complicated than it sounds.  Before you know it, you will find yourself just staring at the screen muttering, “I found two…I just need one more for a match…”

Hexistentialism is available from the iTunes App Store for $2.99

What I Liked: unique gameplay, great tutorial, well drawn graphics

What Needs Improvement: No easy levels.  Not enough variation between symbols can lead to confusion.

Developer: www.ayumusoft.com

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!


About the Author

Gear Diary Staff
Gear Diary was founded on September 30, 2006, with the goal to create a website that would not easily be labeled. Everyone who is part of Gear Diary is a professional who uses technology in their work and daily lives. On this site, we share our enthusiasm while exploring the gear we use — the equipment that makes our lives easier, more entertaining, more productive, and more manageable. Our hope is that Gear Diary visitors find this site to be a welcoming, friendly, and accessible place to learn about and discuss interesting topics — and not only those that are tech-related! Gear Diary is a place to discover and explore all kinds of new gear, including smartphones, computers, kitchen gadgets, Toys, EDC, camping gear, or even your next new car! You can follow us on Twitter @GearDiarySite.