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.
Matching a Game Piece:
Simply click on a game piece. If it is not a headache, a hidden picture will be displayed. The picture will continue to be shown until a second game piece is clicked. If the second game piece is not a headache, another hidden picture will be displayed. If the two pictures are the same, you have successfully matched a pair of game pieces! Congratulations! You will need to do this 39 more times to win the game. If the two pictures are not the same, they will be hidden again. Sharpen your memory! A "Best" score relies on your ability to memorize the position of the hidden pictures! See the following section on scoring for more information on this subject.
Strategy:
The best strategy is to find and "Mark" all the headaches before trying to match game pieces! After you get all those aggravating little headaches out of the way, you can concentrate on matching game pieces. See the following section on "Marking Game Pieces".
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. For those headaches that are hard to figure out, use the new "Question Clicks" feature. See the following section on "Question Clicks" for more information on how to use them.
Scoring:
The game is scored by tracking the number of moves it takes to win the game. A move is defined as clicking on two game pieces to see if the hidden pictures match. 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 "Best" score if you win the game! I know that's stating the obvious, but...
Marking and Unmarking Game Pieces:
It is helpful to "Mark" game pieces so that headaches are not accidentally clicked. Simply hold down the option key and click a game piece to mark it. As you hold down the option key, 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.
Levels:
There are six levels of play. Each successive level increases in difficulty. Level 0 is a special "practice" level. There is unlimited time to solve the game board and there is an unlimited number of "Question Clicks". Level 0 will let you get a good feel for how the game is played.
All other levels have limitations on the number of "Question Clicks" per game. There is also a limit on the amount of time allowed to solve the game before the game pieces will be scrambled. Note that the game is NOT ended, but rather the game pieces are simply mixed up making it take longer to solve the game. Just when you think you have everything figured out, it all changes!
You may change levels during a game, but doing so will end the current game and begin a new one!
Scrambling Rules:
Rule number 1: Game pieces that are "Marked" are NOT scrambled. If a game piece is marked, it stays put!
Rule number 2: Matched game pieces are not scrambled. So once two game pieces are matched, they never move.
Rule number 3: Penalty points are added to your score for letting the time expire! Penalty points are progressive. That is, when time expires 5 points are added to your score. The next time, 10 points... the next, 15 points... the next, 20 points... and so on.
Note the above rules... you need to use them to your advantage to get a "Best" score!
"Question Clicks"
"Question Clicks" allow you to answer the following question: Is this game piece a headache???? Simply hold down the shift key and click a game piece to ask this important question. Notice that as you hold down the shift key, the cursor changes to a question mark. You only get a few "Question Clicks" per game. So use them only when the clues don't provide enough information to solve the game board. The exact number of question clicks per game depends upon the current level of play. Once all "Question Clicks" have been used, holding down the shift key is the same as the option key. That is, if you have used all the "Question Clicks", you can use either the shift key or the option key to "Mark" game pieces.
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 sad face. 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 registration fee 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!
You will be allowed to play 25 uninterrupted games before you need to decide if you will register your copy. If you register, you will be sent a password that allows you to continue playing Hex Ya! without interruption. When registering, please send $10.00, your name, address, telephone number and the current version of Hex Ya! that you are using to the address below. I need your address so I can send you the password! Please note that after 25 games, you will not be locked out. This game does not "expire". I simply prompt you to send in your shareware registration fee!
Fact: Only 1 - 2% of all users send in shareware payments! Please support shareware! Your registration fee helps support "try before you buy" software. Without user support, shareware cannot survive. Please, let's start a trend to support this great method of software distribution. Shareware means low cost, NOT low quality. To ensure quality, low cost software for the future, shareware needs to be supported.
Oh, by the way, 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 ( version 1.0.0,1.0.1, 2.0.0, 2.1.0 & 2.1.1 ):
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.
Version 2.0.0 introduced color to Hex Ya! Version 2.1.0 introduced levels of play. Version 2.1.0 gives you the tools to solve the game without relying on luck. All the above improvements were suggestions from users!!! I would really like to hear from you! Please drop me a note or send me E-Mail thru America Online. My user name is "JohnDecker".
Version 2.1.1 fixes a bug that caused Hex Ya! to crash under system 6.0.x.
Version 2.1.2 allows users to choose "Change Level" from any point in a game. Previous versions only allowed the player to change levels at the end of a game. Note that changing levels ends the current game! This is done to ensure that the "Best Score" is truly the best score for a level. Version 2.1.2 also fixes a small bug with the timing clock. It would lose about 2 seconds per game.
Version 2.1.2 will NOT lock a player out at the end of the trial period!
Version 2.1.1 would simply quit after 25 games forcing you to send your registration fee to unlock the game. Not so anymore! I will simply beg for your registration fee and hope there are enough honest people in the world to make the effort worthwhile!
I am committed to great service and continuous improvements to Hex Ya! Please send in your registration fee. All the improvements to the game have come from users. I would like to hear you comments for enhancements to Hex Ya! too.
If you used version 1.O.1 and have now upgraded to 2.1.2, you will need to rebuild your desktop to see the color icon. Refer to your owner's manual on how to rebuild your desktop.
The Future ( version 2.2.0) :
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.
I also plan to add an option to save the game where you are at. This will allow you to quit for a while, come back and start right where you left off!
I plan on adding a preferences file so that you don't have to choose your level of play everytime you start the game. With preferences, Hex Ya! will remember the last level you played and start there.
I would like to expand the help screens. I would really like your suggestions for this. What questions did you have when first playing the game? What did you learn thru experience that would have been nice to read about in the help screens?
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.
