⌐ Copyright 1993, John Decker, All rights reserved.
Object:
The object of the game is to match pairs of game pieces without getting a headache. Clicking on a headache will break your concentration and end the game. There are ten headaches scattered throughout the Hex Ya! game grid. The game is won after all pairs of game pieces have been matched.
Scoring:
The game is scored by tracking the number of moves it takes to win the game. It's kinda like scoring golf. That is, the lower the score the better. Since there are 80 total game pieces to match, the best possible score is 40 moves. Don't hold out for a score of 40... If you get a score of 40, start playing the lottery! You are the luckiest person in the world. A really, really, really good score is anything under 100. By the way, you are only eligible for the high score if you win the game! I know that's stating the obvious, but...
Hints:
A clue is the center of a Hex and they tell you how many headaches are within that Hex. Notice that many game pieces can be part of more than one Hex. Because of this you should be able to deduce where most of the headaches are located. But... you still need to be lucky because several of the game pieces are within only 1 Hex. Good Luck... As the creator of the program, I know how frustrating it is to find 9 of the 10 headaches and lose the game because of bad luck!
Marking and Unmarking Game Pieces:
It is helpful to "Mark" game pieces so that headaches are not accidentally clicked. Choose "Mark Game Pieces" from the Options menu to start marking game pieces. You should notice that the cursor changes from a "Plus Sign" to a "Diamond" with an "M" in the middle of it. This "Diamond M" cursor indicates that you are in the "Marking and Unmarking" mode of the game. You can only mark and unmark game pieces in this mode.
Since there are ten headaches on the game board, you can only mark ten game pieces. If you feel that you have marked an incorrect game piece, you can "Unmark" it by clicking on the game piece with the "Diamond M" cursor.
Oh No! You got a Headache!
If the worst happens (you lost), you can at least see the solution of the game! All headaches are marked with a huge asterisk. Any game piece that was "Marked" is hilited. This makes it easy to identify which game pieces were properly marked and which were not. If you're curious about the location of all the remaining game pieces, simply click on a picture in the stats line and like magic they appear!
Shareware:
This game is shareware!!! That means you can copy it as many times as you want and distribute it to your friends. Please do! It also means if you like it and use it, I need 10 bucks... Your shareware payment ensures that I can make a few bucks and justify all the time and energy spent developing this game! Sounds selfish, I know. But hey, I gotta eat. Anyway it's a small price to pay and it only takes a few minutes to address the envelope! Do it now so you have a clear conscience.
Oh, by the way, if you do send me some money, you will become a registered user. So, include your name and address. As a registered user, you will receive updates. What a deal.
Thanks for your support.
John Decker
P. O. Box 9138
Appleton, WI 54911
The Past:
This game was originally given to a small number of people under the name "Hex". I found out after I gave it to them that "Hex" was already used by another program. My apologies to the developer of the game "Hex". If you see a copy of this game that is named "Hex" and not "Hex Ya!" please get rid of it.
The Future:
I plan on making several enhancements to the game. One of which is to add color. There is one small problem... I own a Macintosh¬ Plus. Yes, it's true. This game was developed on a computer that is so slow it brings tears to your eyes. The Macintosh¬ Plus does not support the color routines needed to add color to a program. That fact makes it incredibly difficult to test!
So send in your shareware payment and maybe I will make enough money to buy a newer computer. That way we all benefit... You will receive a copy of "Hex Ya!" that shows brilliant, beautiful color and I can feel good about all the time I've spent developing this game.
I plan on adding sound so you will unmistakably know when you have won or lost the game. Speaking of winning and losing, I also plan on adding a more spectacular ending when you win. It is rather dull now.
All in all, you are the future of this program. Without your shareware payment, I will have to find a real job. Then we will all suffer because there will be one less programmer who is willing to work real hard to provide low cost software.