Hi!
I'd really appreciate any feedback.
I'm making the beta version of my project, currently using the working title HexaWars, publicly available for the first time:
project on the gamedev.net: https://gamedev.net/projects/433-hexawars/
project on itch.io for download: https://iustat.itch.io/hexawars
At the moment, login is available only through an itch.io account.
The game is available for Windows 64-bit. You can either download it directly from the itch.io page or install it through the itch.io desktop client.
HexaWars is a multiplayer strategy game played on a hexagonal map with fog of war.
The main feature of the game is that players do not take turns one after another — everyone plays simultaneously.
This should make larger matches such as 3v3 or 5v5 possible without dramatically increasing the amount of time players spend waiting for their turn.
The game is divided into several stages: first, players select their units, and after that the match alternates between the Planning Phase and the Execution Phase.
Unit Selection
Each player chooses 8 units from the available pool.
These are the units you will use for the entire match.
At the start of the game, the selected units need to be placed in the available starting positions. You can place them manually or use the button to deploy them randomly.
Planning Phase
During this phase, each player gives commands to their units.
The number and type of commands you can issue depends on your available Command Points.
Each player receives the same fixed number of Command Points every round.
Nothing actually happens on the battlefield during this phase — players are simply planning and assigning orders to their units.
Execution Phase
During this phase, players do not issue any commands.
Instead, everyone watches the consequences of the decisions they made during the Planning Phase.
All previously issued orders are executed simultaneously.
As units move around the battlefield, they also reveal parts of the fog of war.
Victory Conditions
There are currently two ways to win:
Reach 100 points, generated by captured control points.
Destroy all enemy units.
Capturing a Control Point
To capture a control point:
Move a unit next to the point and keep it there for 2 full turns after the turn in which the unit first arrives.
If you have 2 units next to the point, it can be captured within 1 turn.
The game checks whether a unit is next to the point only at the end of the turn. This means a unit may move away during the turn, but if it returns before the end — or is replaced by another unit — the capture process continues.
If an enemy unit is next to a point you are trying to capture, the capture process is paused.
If the point has already been captured, the presence of an enemy unit prevents it from generating points. In this state, the point is considered contested.
Each control point generates a different number of points at the end of every round depending on its color:
Red: +4 points
Green: +3 points
Gray: +2 points
Keep in mind that the colors are different for each player.
A point that appears red to you appears gray to your opponent, and vice versa.
What Is Already in the Game
9 different unit types
Fully functional multiplayer running on a dedicated server
Two maps
TestMap — a more technical/development-oriented map
KidsRoom — a much more visually polished map
Both maps currently support 1v1 only
A working AI Bot, so the game can be tested without another player
The AI is not particularly smart yet, but it works well enough to understand the basic mechanics and learn how the different units behave
There are also early attempts at adding some metagame/lobby features such as unit wear, ranks, and other progression systems
Those systems are still very early in development, so for now I strongly recommend creating a Custom Game in Casual mode.
Use of AI During Development
A few notes about how AI has been used in the project:
AI was not used to create game assets. Most of the current assets were purchased from the Unity Asset Store.
AI was not used for the visual design either — which is probably noticeable, because the visuals definitely still need improvement.
AI was used for programming. At first, I mainly used it as a programming consultant. Later, I connected a Claude coding agent, which ended up helping with a significant amount of development work.
Current State of the Game
This is not a finished product.
In fact, this is essentially the first time I'm making the game publicly available. Playing it over the network with a few friends doesn't really count as a public release.
The core gameplay mechanics are mostly implemented at this point.
From here, I plan to focus more on technical improvements and overall polish:
bug fixes;
interface improvements;
adding sound and music — currently the game has no sound at all;
adding more maps and gameplay scenarios;
adding more unit types;
expanding the lobby and metagame systems;
improving the overall visual quality.
And perhaps at some point I'll find a creative person who would be interested in helping bring the game's overall visual style together.
For now, the main goal is to put the game in front of more people, see how it feels outside my small test group, and collect feedback on the mechanics, balance, UI, bugs, and anything else that stands out.