Super Hexagon

Super Hexagon is an indie rhythm video game developed by Terry Cavanagh, with music composed by Chipzel. Originally released for iOS in September 2012,[1] versions for Windows and macOS were released three months later, and Android, BlackBerry and Linux versions followed in early 2013.[2][3]

Super Hexagon
Designer(s)Terry Cavanagh
Composer(s)Chipzel
Platform(s)Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, BlackBerry 10
ReleaseiOS
  • WW: August 31, 2012 (2012-08-31)
Windows, macOS
  • WW: November 27, 2012 (2012-11-27)
Android
  • WW: January 19, 2013 (2013-01-19)
BlackBerry 10
  • WW: February 16, 2013 (2013-02-16)
GNU/Linux
  • WW: February 27, 2013 (2013-02-27)
Genre(s)Action, twitch
Mode(s)Single-player

The game is based on an earlier prototype by Cavanagh, simply titled Hexagon, which was created for a twelve-hour game jam in early 2012.

Gameplay
A screenshot of Super Hexagon on PC depicting the geometric art style and gameplay

Super Hexagon is a fast-paced twitch game in which the player controls a triangle on a hexagonal grid in the center while walls come from the edges of the screen. The controls are simple: the player must pivot the triangle to the opening in order to survive.[4][5] The pace of the game progressively gets more difficult the longer the player has survived and to distract players, the game features a chiptune soundtrack, a background that regularly changes color, and walls that occasionally change direction. The game contains six different difficulty levels, beginning at hard (Hexagon), harder (Hexagoner), and hardest (Hexagonest). Additional, "Hyper"[6] difficulty stages can be unlocked by surviving for over sixty seconds on a level.[7] The difficulty settings increased to "hardester" (Hyper Hexagon), "hardestest" (Hyper Hexagoner), and "hardestestest" (Hyper Hexagonest) respectively.

Development

Super Hexagon started off as a smaller game prototype titled Hexagon, made and released in one day for the late February 2012 game jam Pirate Kart V.[8] As the game's designer Terry Cavanagh saw potential in the project, he decided to increase the game's difficulty and expand upon its concept. Cavanagh has stated that he is "not much of a visual artist," thus settling on a minimal look quickly. The visuals of Super Hexagon are barely different from its original Hexagon iteration.[6]

Over the course of developing Super Hexagon, Cavanagh had played through it a large amount of time, becoming particularly experienced with the mechanics. During the development of the game, Cavanagh made various changes based on "what felt good", before starting the beta testing process. Cavanagh found that anyone could beat the game once they get better reflexes and a better understanding of the game's mechanics.[9]

Super Hexagon is voiced by journalist Jenn Frank. Cavanagh had intended to use a professional voice actor, but did not like their results and returned to Frank, the voice of Hexagon, to reprise the role.[10] Frank stated that, when a game like Super Hexagon is almost entirely created by a single person, it can become a very personal piece of work; "a product of thousands of tiny decisions, and every one is the reflection of the person who made it, what they're like, and what they think about."[6]

Music
Super Hexagon
EP by
Chipzel
ReleasedSeptember 6, 2012 (2012-09-06)
GenreVideo game soundtrack, chiptune
Length8:31

After Cavanagh used Chipzel's track "Courtesy" in the original Hexagon game, he again sought to use her music in the full game Super Hexagon. Chipzel agreed, and created a three-track chiptune soundtrack that was subsequently released as Super Hexagon EP.[11] The soundtrack again included the track "Courtesy", as well as "Focus" from Chipzel's previous album Phonetic Symphony and a new track titled "Otis".[12] Each track corresponded to a level in the game: "Courtesy" was used on the Hexagon level, "Otis" on the Hexagoner level, and "Focus" on the Hexagonest level. When a level in Super Hexagon is restarted, the track always starts off at a random place in order to keep players from feeling like they have to start back from the beginning every time.[9] Fittingly enough, the music that plays in the ending (lasting 60 seconds on Hyper Hexagonest) is a reversed and higher pitched version of Focus.

In late 2015, the EP was re-released on hexagonal vinyl.[13]

Open Hexagon

Following the game's release, Vittorio Romeo developed Open Hexagon, a spiritual successor designed to be easily customisable. In May 2021, Terry Cavanagh praised the project in a tweet reading "It's really cool to see that Open Hexagon is still getting regular updates, all these years later - if you liked Super Hexagon and you're interested in what a community driven version looks like, check it out!"[14]

Reception

Super Hexagon has received a positive critical response with a score of 86/100 on review aggregator website Metacritic for the iOS version and 88/100 for the PC version.[16][15]

Awards

The game was the runner-up for Apple's App Store "Best of 2012" Game of the Year[18] and was a finalist for the 2013 Independent Games Festival Excellence in Design award (which went to FTL: Faster Than Light)[19] with an Honorable Mention for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize.[20] It was also nominated for "British Game" in the British Academy Video Games Awards in 2013.

See also

References
  1. Robinson, Martin (September 11, 2012). "App of the Day: Super Hexagon". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  2. Mallory, Jordan (January 19, 2013). "Super Hexagon out on Android, temporarily $1". Joystiq. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  3. "Super Hexagon now available for Blackberry 10". February 9, 2013. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  4. "Review: Super Hexagon - Hardcore Gamer". www.hardcoregamer.com. December 5, 2012. Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  5. Smith, Graham (December 6, 2012). "Super Hexagon review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  6. Leigh, Alexander (October 25, 2012). "Terry Cavanagh and the heart of Super Hexagon". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  7. Aziz, Hamza (September 10, 2012). "Review: Super Hexagon". Destructoid. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  8. Mallory, Jordan (February 27, 2012). "'Hexagon' is Terry Cavanagh's latest jam". Engadget. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  9. Fletcher, JC (September 21, 2012). "Terry Cavanagh goes inside Super Hexagon". Engadget. Archived from the original on June 18, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  10. "Finding Your Voice - Indie MEGABOOTH". July 15, 2015. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  11. Robinson, Will (September 20, 2012). "Interview with Chipzel". MuzikDizcovery. Archived from the original on December 6, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  12. Chipzel (September 6, 2012). "Super Hexagon EP". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  13. Porter, Matt (August 13, 2015). "Super Hexagon Soundtrack Coming to Hexagonal Vinyl". IGN. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  14. "It's really cool to see that Open Hexagon is still getting regular updates, all these years later". May 26, 2021. Archived from the original on August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022 – via Twitter.
  15. "Super Hexagon for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  16. "Super Hexagon for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  17. Polson, John (September 7, 2012). "'Super Hexagon' Review – As The Six-Sided World Turns". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  18. "App Store Best Of 2012". December 14, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  19. "IGF 2013 winners led by Cart Life and FTL: Faster Than Light". March 28, 2013. Archived from the original on March 31, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  20. "2013 Independent Games Festival Announces Main Competition Finalists". January 7, 2013. Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
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