The Hex for Mac

Snapshot of the game

The Hex is an unusual indie title from Daniel Mullins Games, released in October 2018. At its core it’s a genre-mixing mystery: six video game characters gather in a strange tavern, and the narrative hints that one of them might commit a crime in the future. The experience deliberately breaks away from linear storytelling, encouraging players to piece the tale together by sampling each character’s segment.

How the gameplay varies

Rather than sticking to a single style, The Hex cycles through several distinct gameplay types to represent each character’s world and mechanics. You’ll encounter point-and-click sequences, side-scrolling platforming, and arcade-like fighting segments, among other designs. These shifts aren’t just cosmetic — each style shapes the way you engage with that character’s portion of the story.

Story structure and replay incentives

The Hex uses a non-linear, branching framework that rewards repeated playthroughs. Choices and the order in which you visit segments can change what you learn and how events unfold, revealing new details and metafictional twists on subsequent runs. That branching design increases the game’s replay value, since multiple playthroughs are needed to assemble the full picture.

Multiple perspectives and character focus

Each of the six protagonists offers a different angle on the central mystery, with their dialogue and gameplay revealing fragments of the whole. Moving between perspectives creates a layered narrative: gameplay mechanics reflect character identity, and the contrasting viewpoints gradually expose the game’s deeper secrets.

Worth noting

The Hex stands out for combining gameplay variety with a self-aware, puzzle-like story. That experimental mix will appeal to players who enjoy unconventional narrative games, though its niche approach and frequent stylistic shifts might be less attractive to those who prefer a single, consistent gameplay loop. Overall, it’s a thought-provoking title that invites careful exploration and multiple revisits.