Hexwords
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Publisher : Games Warehouse
Platform : Ninjaro Remote Gaming System : Ninjaro Game Engine : QuantumDodo Language : Flash AS3 Resolution : 1024 x 768 Year : 2011 |
Hexwords
Hexwords is a word game with a haunted house theme. It is a points-based tournament skill game for social media platforms.
Make as many words as you can in 3 minutes. The game consists of a board with 4 layers of coloured letter tiles. Use ANY of the letters to make words. Words made from letters that are the same colour activate bonuses. Words using DOUBLE POINTS tiles score double. Words using FREEZE TIME tiles pause the game timer for 12 seconds. If you get stuck, use the friendly SPIRIT for hints.
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The game is played on an old Ouija board. The board is initially covered with 4 layers of randomly distributed hexagonal tiles. Each tile is inscribed with a coloured letter. All the tiles on one layer have letters with the same colour, e.g. the tiles on the top layer have gold letters, and the tiles on the bottom layer have blue letters. Some tiles also have bonuses attached.
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The object of the game is to score as many points as possible within the allowed time of 3 minutes. Points are scored by selecting any of the tiles to make words. Each word submission is checked against the game's dictionary. Words not in the dictionary are rejected. A word's score is calculated by adding the value of each letter in the word.
- words using DOUBLE POINTS tiles score double.
- words using FREEZE TIME tiles extend the game time - the game timer is temporarily stopped.
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Bonus points are awarded for clearing each layer of tiles. If the player clears all the tiles, the board is re-populated with new tiles.
All submitted words must be at least 3 letters long. If the tiles remaining on the board cannot be used to make a valid word, the remaining tiles are cleared and the board is re-populated with new tiles.
All submitted words must be at least 3 letters long. If the tiles remaining on the board cannot be used to make a valid word, the remaining tiles are cleared and the board is re-populated with new tiles.
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If the player cannot see a valid word to enter, the SPIRIT can be invoked to show the player a valid word. Initially, the player can use the SPIRIT up to a maximum of 2 times. A bonus SPIRIT is awarded every time the player clears a layer of letters.
The player is notified when a new high score is achieved.
The player is notified when a new high score is achieved.
Development
Martin's Flash version of Hexwords is based on Games Warehouse's Paragon SWP game. The original SWP game has small cash prizes, whereas Martin's Flash game is a points-based tournament game for social media platforms.
Martin made numerous improvements to the original game design including:
Martin developed Hexwords in December 2011. Much of the game was developed in his own time over the Christmas holiday period.
Martin made numerous improvements to the original game design including:
- improved tile graphics
- the addition of graphic prompts to announce the activation of bonuses
- the addition of scary ghost-like apparitions, which subliminally fade into view as the haunting theme music reaches its climax at the end of the game
- the addition of ghostly visual "echos" of submitted words, which float away and dissipate into the ether
- as the game timer approaches zero, the tiles begin to jiggle, gently at first, but increasingly violently towards the end - this, together with the onset of a beating heart sound, helps to invoke an awesome atmosphere of foreboding and panic
Martin developed Hexwords in December 2011. Much of the game was developed in his own time over the Christmas holiday period.
Release
Hexwords went live on IMS24's Ninjaro website in January 2012.