Super Hexagon has gained a lot of notoriety in just a few short days. For those who haven’t played, you move a tiny cursor in a circular (er, hexagonal) fashion, dodging incoming obstacles. It takes little time to settle in and understand how to play, but getting good is an entirely different story. Gamezebo’s guide provides you with the tips, tricks, and strategies you’ll need to play your very best.
Super Hexagon has gained a lot of notoriety in just a few short days. For those who haven’t played, you move a tiny cursor in a circular (er, hexagonal) fashion, dodging incoming obstacles. It takes little time to settle in and understand how to play, but getting good is an entirely different story. Gamezebo’s guide provides you with the tips, tricks, and strategies you’ll need to play your very best.
Do you hear that?
Upon firing up Super Hexagon, you’ll be greeted with a screen that recommends playing with headphones. It’s solid advice, but it may not work for everyone. Personally, I’ve found myself performing better with no sound at all. I suspect it’s because there’s already so much happening on the screen, and the inclusion of audio causes me to react in ways I don’t mean to.
Take it easy
Super Hexagon features several levels of difficulty, beginning with “Hard”. While it’s tempting to leap around and try some of the later difficulties as you unlock them, take your time! Staying in the easiest (relatively speaking, of course) setting for a while gives you time to buff up your skills with the game before diving into the deep end.
The color of victory
The shades of color on each side of the five-sided hexagon alternate between dark and light. Paying close attention to them is a great way to immediately determine where you are in relation to incoming obstacles, and where you need to be to avoid contact.
Quit while the quittin’ is good
Playing Super Hexagon for long periods is a fantastic way to improve your performance. That said, playing it for too long can cause your performance to degrade. I once played for 45 minutes straight, walked away 10 minutes, and had my best time ever upon return.
Flex your eyes
This particular tip may not apply to everyone, but it’s worked incredibly well for me. It’s easy to focus on one single part of the action, be it the outer edges of the screen or the direct center. There’s certainly merit to that idea, but I’ve found it better to actively look about the screen at all times. This came in especially handy when the playing field began panning around and trying to trip me out. Don’t get me wrong, it was still difficult to adjust my eyes when things got crazy, but it was much easier to cope with when I wasn’t focusing on one part of the screen the entire time.
I need space
While holding your iDevice up to your face is a useful tactic in some games, it can be deadly in Super Hexagon. It can cause you to lose sight of the big picture, not unlike mistaking the trees for the forest. In this case, though, the trees are obstacles that kill you upon contact.
Don’t give up!
It’s easy to look at the leaderboards and sell yourself short. “How on earth are people lasting three minutes?” you may say to yourself. It’s a valid question, and the answer is practice. Practice, practice, practice. You too can dominate the leaderboards; don’t assume that the top players possess some sort of arcane wizardry that naturally makes them Really Darn Good at Super Hexagon. Well, except maybe Terry Cavanagh, who as of now resides atop the leaderboards. But he made the game, which gives him a bit of an edge.
It may be a simple game in concept, but there’s a whole lot of wiggle room in Super Hexagon for different approaches. If there’s a strategy that’s working great for you, we’d love to hear about it!
“