*Computer playable versions of Iso-Path~* by Cukeasaurus: cukeasaurus.itch.io/hexisopath by NotNumber3: veselivepar.itch.io/hexpath by Joseph Ryan: github.com/P1n3appl3/HIP *On Tabletop Simulator~* by Crimson13: steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=918703458 by GCms: steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=917659652
Wow. Thanks to Cukeasaurus for an easy way to playtest the game. It's even deeper and more interesting than I expected! I would so buy a box version of it right now if it was for sale. My vote is for the name "Bee Chess" as someone suggested, btw :)
Don't be ridiculous. That version is perfectly playable. You're blaming the game for you clicking the wrong thing! "Cancelling a move?" Yeah, maybe slot machines should have that feature, too. Sheesh.
That game is hard to control and sometimes not precise. I also have problems reaching the upper tiles. It also should hold a basic undo function if I pick up a wrong tile. The board should also flip to give other player the same perspective. You should improve on these things. Until then, I made something myself, a very simple and basic version: veselivepar.itch.io/hexpath , but It's easier to control and play, at least for me.
Thanks. Wait- what? Where's your confidence in me? I deliver! lol. Seriously though, this turned out to be a great game. Give it a try. Oh, and the one you might be thinking of is stowaway stool chess. I haven't released that game yet, but I don't think it's as good. It's too limiting, whereas Iso-Path has real depth.
For gameplay analysis, consider submitting to game play theory students at a reputible university for project consideration. I bet you they would eat this up for research and a chance to write a damn good paper.
Agreed. I've fallen too far out of practice to work on it myself. Its complexity turned out to exceed what I am capable of delivering against it in analysis. I knew it was gold. But I can't keep all of my ideas forever, which is why I'm letting go and posting them.
pocket83 Have you considered patenting it to prevent patent-trolls from taking it? This game is quite interesting; easy to learn, difficult to master the strategy
I went into the part about explanation expecting you to go right in and start. I was greeted by "This... is a hexagon." And burst into laughter because it caught me so off guard. Already dropping a like, and will probably subscribe after this video. Really liking this channel and I've only watched one video so far, the triangle illusion thingy.
This video reminds me of what I used to love from board games as a child. How simple rules can lead to complex situations and how you can develop new ideas and strategies to try and best your opponent. Very well done video, and beautifully made.
I am going to try and make this fascinating game. Thank you for taking the time, way more than enough to be honest, to give back to the "fans." Having the printouts available is a very kind act on your part. You are a good one Pocket.
It looks like a great game. I'm astonished that you have 'given' the concept away, but I salute you for not taking the idea to the market. Please keep up with the videos. I may never get to make any of your ideas but I like watching your creativeness at work on readily available materials.
Amazing concept and craftsmanship, just discovered this channel and can't believe this man doesn't have more subscribers. Great video and I'll enjoy binge watching the rest!
"The piece is being threatened... And on the next turn, black can capture this piece." Suddenly the setup of two friends playing in a warehouse takes on an ominous turn!
Great game!! i have to try it :) Slight design improvement idea: Color one side of the plates and the have to be flipped. This will result in a different color for the "zero" plane and aid to see the walkable path. You could also color the -1 plane so this will result in three different colors one for each plane.
This seems like as good a place as any to tell you this. I love watching your videos. I love hearing your thought process and seeing how you think through problems. Your videos are very easy to watch and understand for someone like me who may not have prior knowledge of some topics and concepts, but is willing to do a little further reading. Even the mundane things you put out on your secondary channel are interesting to me. I subscribe only to you and to one other person, because you both have a very similar and appealing attitude. In an environment where we are inundated with advertisements and youtubers waste cumulative hours of our lives with self-promotion, you focus completely on your project and let the rest work itself out. You invite genuine people to give feedback in a very personable way, and you are also not afraid to tell inflammatory people that they are welcome to go away and find someone else to watch. I love you for this. You are like a breath of fresh air.
This video came up randomly in my feed - but well done RUclips for showing it to me. Interesting game and it seems simple to make. I enjoyed your unhurried explanation of the make process.
Dude, this is one of the coolest frickin' things I've seen in decades. I am SO stoked about recreating this and gifting it to loved ones (and keeping one for ME!) Great job!
heey pocket, I m watching your videos for 3 years or so and I realy enjoy them. I m a carpenter in switzerland, your style to build things and solve problems is realy inspiering, thx a lot for that. keep up the good work! (to all grammernazis: pls dont hunt me down)
Glad you stopped by. Making sure that I didn't overlook anything was really tough on this one. If yours is an original game concept, I wish you the best of luck. You make some of the best content on this medium in my opinion, so I look forward to it. In the most sincere and non-soliciting way, I really do recommend playing this game if you like 2-player board games. There's now a computer version pinned on top of the comments.
I don't think that has to be a bad thing. I mean, you're right in a way, but if you can get kids to play a smart game, especially a board game, a little embellishment doesn't hurt. It doesn't take away from the classy version. I mean, battle bees vs buzzing beetles sounds kinda cool. lol. This is coming from a person who is presently playing SpongeBob's _Battle for Bikini Bottom,_ though. So what do I know?
Pocket83, You should market this! It's not every day that you see a new kind of game pop up, and this has some serious potential to become pretty popular.
mrs. pocket kicked your ass at the end lol. awesome concept i feel like this would be one of the board games that blows up in popularity it looks super fun.
@pocket83, have you considered a Kickstarter campaign for this game? Because, I would back the hell outta this. Really awesome, man. You never cease to impress.
Thank you for a very clear explanation of how to build this game. I'm looking forward to trying to create my own game - which looks really interesting - from your design.
This is great stuff. Thank you. I like the idea of using a laser cutter to bang out the hexs and even etch the hex pattern on the board. You could hand-roll the side pieces so that you still have all that lovely mahogany.
Pocket, an extra like and thank you. Your video editing, filmography etc add to my enjoyment but most of all thank you for omission of loud, repetition music clips. I’m always interested and often fascinated by your videos!
Love anything hexagon shape. For crafters, a Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting machine easily cuts anything that can be cut with a scissors, e.g., chip board, thin veneer, craft foam, etc. Sizzix makes steel-rule hexagon dies in various sizes. Certainly not as beautiful or precise as yours, but available to someone who likes the game but doesn't have your skills or equipment. Many thanks for sharing this fun game.
Excellent game! I played a round of this tonight with two friends - won one, lost one - and found it both challenging and enjoyable. The only criticism I have is that with two cautious players the game can stall for a while in the middle before one makes a breakthrough.
to help with stacking and positioning - you should add a little dimple in the middle of each tile, and the reverse on the other side. (possibly with a small bead) this would avoid a problem with the magnet idea where you pick up a top tile and the bottom tile comes with it
It's not a problem. I've play tested it and it seems to check out. Any advantage is neutralized from the fact that 0 level players still have to move tiles, so they are forced to work the map against themselves. It really is a wildly complex concept. So far I'm impressed, but I need more time with it.
pocket83 but then even though they work it against themselves, in the case of spending moves for other things, it kills moves being used for other things because player level 0 would always use the tile moving move, and the teleport across map would be completely removed. Plus what color would they be? Gray? If you change it to more colorful team scheme that may make them stand out to far from the board forcing you to replace the board completely, which may, or may not be a problem to you, depending on how much free time you have
pocket83 I want to see this: double the board size, have six colors, and each player gets four pieces starting in the center of their base row. Each player would try to reach the side opposite to their base, with half being diggers and half being builders, or even two diggers, two builders, and two on the middle ground. I can think of so many possibilities for this amazing game!
Nice game!! Awesome work as well!! My dad was the king of jigs so I have a soft spot for them too. Love the jig you made for the tiles!! I can't wait to make one of my own. Even if not for this game, for making hexes of other sizes for crafts!! Well done!!
My son and I made this this last weekend in maybe an hour or two. We made it out of foam using sharp knives. Precision isn't actually as important as one may think. I'd post a picture or two but youtube doesn't have a quick easy way to do that and sometimes it will mark comments with links as spam. Regarding the gameplay, it's an easy to learn game that is fairly entertaining. We started off with a quick prototype made from hexagonal glass beads that I found at the craft store. After realizing it was indeed a fun game, my son did most of the cutting and we had a full sized game relatively quickly.
I know this isn't the latest video, but I thought I'd contribute something in some way! To stop the path pieces moving, I suggest giving the tops of the pieces small cylinders, about half the width of the hexagons. Then, insert the same sized cylinder as a hole in the bottom of the piece. These will stop the pieces moving, and the male piece will act as a handle to lift the pieces out of the 'sea of pieces' in the beginning. Also, add a small grove in the handle for the player pieces to fit in.
Amazing concept, nothing like any game i've come across anyhow. Every time I watch your videos I feel like your voice sounds so familiar - you sound a lot like Rick Lax the magician/deception expert :) great vid keep up the awesome work.
Every time I watch a video by you, i cry a little on the inside because these projects are amazing and i cannot do any of them as I lack the necessities :' (
Looks like a great game, may I suggest maybe putting a tiny pin on the bottom of each tile and a hole in the top, this could keep them from shifting out of place. Just a thought
This is an amazing concept. I am actually really inspired. I think one improvement is to allow the pieces to lock together with the game board somehow. This could improve the feel of the game in a similar way the hexagonal lines add visual structure. My reasoning for this is imagine chess or checkers yet the square pieces on the game board were pieces of paper that slid ever so slightly while trying to play. This would distract players from the game slightly. The hexagonal pieces, while movable, function like tiles of a game board, but since they slide around a small amount of effort is placed on maintaining the board instead of playing the game. This is of course a small thing and admittedly just one of my pet peeves, but I think it would be a great improvement. As soon as I get a garage and tools of my own I will most definitely try my hand at making this game!
Thanks. As it stands, it's not frustrating to play this way. However, it's still on my bucket list to make either a (slightly larger) tumbled marble version, or else a magnetic board. There are also electronic alternatives now.
This is amazing. So simple you can make it yourself but full of strategy and thought. I think I'm going to draw it up in 3D CAD to try and design a semi interlocking/easy to move 3D printed version to try out.
sweet game man. i might try to 3d print one of these for personal use. ive always liked your videos because of the weird ways you solve problems and create things, but to be inspired to do one of your builds for myself is a first. keep up the good work!
Pocket, (does saying it without the 83 offend you? "Hey Mr. Horsedick?" "...dot mpeg...") this is an amazing board game concept. I can't wait to make my own! You have quickly become my favorite RUclipsr. Keep up the good work! p.s. That quote is from Miss March. p.s.s. Altered Beast is a classic. Nice shout out.
i just found your channel (and this video) and i have to say, this video makes me want to get out my x-acto blade and buy some craft foam to make a board game of my own (and build yours as well, because it seems like something really fun that you can quickly explain to friends and have a fun board game evening with them)
Few suggestions; Add magnets to the board pieces, makes them snap into place, and can make them easier to pick up with a stick that has a magnet. Make the board larger and add more layers, this would make the game longer with more depth. Along with this, add random heights to the start of the game, like mountains and valleys. Also make a chess version, but when you 'capture' the opponent's piece, you also move to that layer, as long as that layer is one up or down; playing off the idea with multiple layers, if the opponent is +2, you can't capture them and they can't capture you. Also going off the ideas of multiple layers, and the chess idea; bridges. Make the rule something like +3 layer height and takes two initial moves of crafting for a one space of gap and on move for each additional gap, so a 4 space gap would take 2 full turns before movement. And do the same thing with a tunneling system for the low team. Also have a stair system that takes a full turn to allow a team to move up/down at a certain tile. Could also, for extreme differences like 4 layers, use ropes to climb and rappel. Also, there would need to be an addition of archers for low/high battling, and essentially make it a dice roll and whoever wins will win the battle, but not capturing that tile. And why not make all the battles dice based. Could also add a 'crafting' system, full turn, but gives that piece the addition of a shield or more powerful weapon, giving that person two dice rolls instead of one during battles, excluding archers. 3d layer based chess with crafting systems and dice based battles would add a lot more strategy, complexity, and chance over traditional chess. Though I'm not sure how you would adapt chess to a hexagonal board.
Pocket, I don't know if you "take requests" but I DO know you read your comments and engage with your viewers to some extent. So, I pause at 2:41 to say the following: I know you are one of the more *intellectual* woodworkers/craftsman on YT. I have followed your channel(s) for some time and have become quite impressed with your line and level of wood stuffs. If you are familiar with it, I had a thought on what a game based on the short story "Lineland" would be all about. I think you could do a pretty kick-ass strategy/board game with it. This video reminded me of it a great deal. Alright, on with the show... *clicks "Play"*
That was an excellent video!!! I loved every second. Now I've added a new jig or two to the list of shop projects and super neat family project comes out of it all. Great stuff!!!
^^^ I like that idea. Black or brown trenches, green base height, and white or grey snowy mountain peaks. Adds a certain Carcassonne or Civilization aesthetic
no shame in losing, I just wondered if I was misunderstanding. The hex tiles seem like they might be a bit annoying to separate and pickup, since they fit so snugly... not sure how to tweak it though. Magnets? finger cutouts in the tile edges? Recessed places in the game board? Hmmm.
(No, it was my mistake). That seems to be shaping up to be a common complaint/suggestion for improvement. I like the magnet idea, but as the game has been presented, it hasn't been frustrating to play. Remember that Checkers also uses loose pieces. Still, my perfect version would probably be larger, tumbled stone tiles. I may yet do an improvement, like a sandstone one, depending on this video's popularity.
You are right about checkers. Ahhh, hex pieces with a raised ridge, so they lock together when stacked, like checkers pieces! And as Checkers shows us, the game board could be a larger hex field than the tiles. Then they would have space. but I should stop critiquing something I haven't even tried yet. thanks for the interesting vid.
Great idea - my reaction is you should color the floor of the board black, and you should color the hex tiles white on their bottom sides. That way when someone digs, it reveals black floor (for the black pieces), and the tile gets flipped over and placed to create a white raised path (for the white pieces).
at 20:07 there was a white piece closest to the camera under threat that isnt being moved or captured, was this an oversight or am i missing something inthe rules you described
Great job, but I have a suggestion for you. Even though you put the barriers at the end of the board, tiles can still move freely. My suggestion is that each tile on the underside has two tenons and two holes on the upper side. Also the plate would have two holes drilled for each tile. So in that way all tiles would always be blocked and they would not be able to move freely. The easiest way would be to drill holes through all tiles, and then put tenons in the drilled holes.
I'm rewatching this video to revise the rules but I'm wondering what's the significance of the " *h4* " you labelled the board at 18:15. I'm assuming it's some mathematical notation but I've never encountered it before
this game looks awesome, i think i might attempt to build it. the only change i think i might do is put magnets in the hexagonal pieces to keep them from sliding around
Looks like a really cool concept. I'd consider a feature that makes it easier to pick up inner tiles. little raised notches on top, or cut the perimeter on the bottom, so you can cause the piece to tilt with pressure making it easier to grab. I really like the fact it has only four pieces for each team.
In theory (and depending on the type of board you make), the tiles _could_ be beveled at a low angle in order to cause that pressured pop-up you're talking about. But there's also a slightly simpler solution, which happens as a result of a sort of balance between a few other design elements. The best way I've found to play is to use larger, marble tiles that have been given a felt bottom. Such tiles behave with a slight pop-up on a back press, and in combination with their larger size & mass (and the slop/play in-between tiles), they become quite easy to grab. As for the game itself, it has held up to scrutiny pretty well over the years. I will still happily recommend playing this. In fact, of all my videos, this remains the one I most regret not better promoting and developing. Thanks for stopping by.
I just discoverd your game, and i'm already loving it! I hope you will made it created industrialy to commercial applications, because it's awsome! (and I hope you have protected it to prevent industry to sold it without paying you what they have too!)
very nice game, i'll give it a try for sure, i notice sometimes you have to re arrange the tiles, maybe adding some magnets to the center of the tiles and some nails at the board, that could help self align the tiles i think. great content!
Comments in a nutshell 1.amazing job 2.you should do a mod of this game 3.why you didn't it the white piece at 20.00 Me: everything above Also,keep up the great work
Very nice Your woodworking skills are impressive and the game seems simple, yet challenging. For people who lack the tools, skill, or time, hex ceramic tiles could be used for the game pieces. I'm not much of a board game player, but I think I will make one of these when I get my new 3D printer set up. Thank you.
This is awesome! I'm gonna go to the shop tomorrow and buy stuff to make this. I don't have a shop or any tools but I've always wanted to try something like this :-) Thanks
Also, I was thinking. You could embed magnets into the board and tiles and pieces to make them snap to the correct positions... maybe. Will have a go I think :-)
great job ! i just have one question: at 19:58, are the black can capturing the white or the white can capturing the black ? or maybe no one can capture each other.. ?
Amazing job. This should become a household game. So interesting and a beautiful design on it's own. You've thought of something original. Not easy to say these days
What you could've done is put up small "walls" in between the pieces, to not only make it the pieces easier to pick up, but also the pieces wouldn't move as much during play. Other than that, i love this game and this video! I'm now highly considering making one for myself.
A few questions on this build (which is awesome and will be a build this summer after a trefoil knot): 1. Why didn't you spray the "home base" pieces prior to mounting to the board? Some double sided tape to hold them to a piece of scrap so the bottoms don't get covered with paint. That seems like it would have been easier. 2. If you do the hexagonal lines prior to the oil application, will the ink smudge/smear? 3. General ?? about your videos - I've noticed you're a fan of teak oil. Can I ask why? Does it leave a greasy/oily feel after it's absorbed, or do you need to wipe it away? Does it need to be reapplied? Thanks. I love your videos, and some of the tips/tricks that you show are invaluable. I'm probably one of the few that appreciate the math/science you include in your videos, as well. Keep up the good work.
1) Harder to glue if they are painted. Paint gets damaged. Can't oil first either, or wood glue won't stick. 2) No. But I prefer one coat of oil before lines, and then two after. That looks the best. I used Helmsman Teak, so it is not like regular oil; it's more like linseed oil or polyurethane. It's NOT like WATCO, which is more like a kerosene and oil mix. Test on scraps first- every time. 3) I'll make a second channel video. It's about time I addressed that. Thanks for the interest ;)
Thanks for the replies. If I paint prior to glueing, the glued surfaces will be masked...we shall see. Also, do you have a separate zero clearance inserts for your table saw for common angles? I'm an engineer, so I live and die by details :)
No problem, you're in good company! Ask anything you like- that's what I'm here for. No, I meant that clamping will damage the soft paint. The procedure I used is quite easy, so I wouldn't really recommend doing it in a different order. As for the zero-inserts, I do have them for every common angle. I hope you enjoy the game ;)
Re: clamping the paint - gotcha. This was a concern of mine, since until the paint film has fully cured (days, weeks?), it can be marred easily. Thanks again, and looking forward to more project ideas, tips, tweaks and insights :)
There are two puzzle games that use the same premise. And their integration would add quite an interesting aspect to your game. The first, taken from chinese checkers, would be a 4 player game. In this case, you could have lower blacks and whites vs higher blacks and whites, played with the same capture rules, although you may only get 3 pions each. The second puzzle is sort of a reverso puzzle. It was nicely featured in the anime Phi Brain on episode 29 I believe. The idea would involve painting one side of the tiles or staining it darker, and turning the board on it's vectors. Once done, you take one player on each end and move them one tile per turn in any direction. In doing so, you are able to flip over 2 tiles to the 4 corners, making a 4x4 "x" shape. If the tile has already been turned, you can then capture the opponent's tiles. If you step adjacent 2 of the opponent's tiles, you have permission only to turn over one of them. The game can be played for a set number of turns, or until one player has conquored the board. I look forward to making this puzzle and would like to know the name you gave it, since I can see it being a household name, like chess, checkerds and Shogi
Excellent. This project begs for a 3D printing template. You could easily then scale the entire game to any size. By making the grid pieces thicker you could also make negative space inside to accomodate a cr232 button batter, small rare earth magnets, and a smt hall effect transistor to change the state of a 3 color led so that each elevation of boxes to floor would light up a different color. Thanks for sharing something worthy of patent and sell to someone like milton bradley.
Well, good luck with that. Just give me credit! I would still prefer to play with stone tiles over all the electronic stuff. I'm becoming a bit of a Luddite. Great ideas, though.
I'm just 2 minutes in and already blown away! Great concept!!
indeed :)
Uh-oh. That leaves 19 minutes for disappointment!
Nahh, you'll like the hex-cutting sled. It's good stuff. Thanks ;)
This was great! I really hope this catches on!
Thanks! Me too. I put lots of work into this one.
*Sigh*
I agree. This is great!
*Computer playable versions of Iso-Path~*
by Cukeasaurus:
cukeasaurus.itch.io/hexisopath
by NotNumber3:
veselivepar.itch.io/hexpath
by Joseph Ryan:
github.com/P1n3appl3/HIP
*On Tabletop Simulator~*
by Crimson13:
steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=918703458
by GCms:
steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=917659652
Can confirm, basic game concept written in unity. Not bad. Has all the basic rules down.
Wow. Thanks to Cukeasaurus for an easy way to playtest the game. It's even deeper and more interesting than I expected! I would so buy a box version of it right now if it was for sale. My vote is for the name "Bee Chess" as someone suggested, btw :)
Don't be ridiculous. That version is perfectly playable. You're blaming the game for you clicking the wrong thing!
"Cancelling a move?" Yeah, maybe slot machines should have that feature, too. Sheesh.
I see what you mean. Since your turn has two halves, you should be able to take back the first until you've made the second. That's a fair point.
That game is hard to control and sometimes not precise. I also have problems reaching the upper tiles. It also should hold a basic undo function if I pick up a wrong tile. The board should also flip to give other player the same perspective. You should improve on these things. Until then, I made something myself, a very simple and basic version: veselivepar.itch.io/hexpath , but It's easier to control and play, at least for me.
I was waiting for this. It's WAY better than I thought is would be!
Thanks. Wait- what? Where's your confidence in me? I deliver!
lol. Seriously though, this turned out to be a great game. Give it a try.
Oh, and the one you might be thinking of is stowaway stool chess. I haven't released that game yet, but I don't think it's as good. It's too limiting, whereas Iso-Path has real depth.
The odds are very good that I'll be making this.
For gameplay analysis, consider submitting to game play theory students at a reputible university for project consideration. I bet you they would eat this up for research and a chance to write a damn good paper.
Agreed. I've fallen too far out of practice to work on it myself. Its complexity turned out to exceed what I am capable of delivering against it in analysis. I knew it was gold.
But I can't keep all of my ideas forever, which is why I'm letting go and posting them.
Send it over to Dice Tower and see what they have to say.
I'm far too anti-solicitation to do that myself. If you think the game is good enough, please pass it along ;)
pocket83 Have you considered patenting it to prevent patent-trolls from taking it? This game is quite interesting; easy to learn, difficult to master the strategy
I would buy one for 30 $ if you sold it
I love how you talk about all of the details but not in a way that would make someone get bored if they already understood what you were doing.
I can't decide which I love more: your jigs or the the end product. Bloody brilliant on both counts, Pocket!
I went into the part about explanation expecting you to go right in and start. I was greeted by "This... is a hexagon." And burst into laughter because it caught me so off guard. Already dropping a like, and will probably subscribe after this video. Really liking this channel and I've only watched one video so far, the triangle illusion thingy.
This video reminds me of what I used to love from board games as a child. How simple rules can lead to complex situations and how you can develop new ideas and strategies to try and best your opponent. Very well done video, and beautifully made.
Sometimes I space out and think about this game randomly. Today's the day I finally found your channel again and I'm delighted
This is actually a good concept of a game, it made the 21min video feel like a 10min video. Gj.
I am going to try and make this fascinating game. Thank you for taking the time, way more than enough to be honest, to give back to the "fans." Having the printouts available is a very kind act on your part. You are a good one Pocket.
It looks like a great game. I'm astonished that you have 'given' the concept away, but I salute you for not taking the idea to the market. Please keep up with the videos. I may never get to make any of your ideas but I like watching your creativeness at work on readily available materials.
I don't understand how someone is so smart... Humbled every minute of your vids...
Amazing concept and craftsmanship, just discovered this channel and can't believe this man doesn't have more subscribers. Great video and I'll enjoy binge watching the rest!
This is YOUR game? Dude this is awesome. Simple, fun and pretty dynamic movements. Love it.
Thank you!
"The piece is being threatened... And on the next turn, black can capture this piece."
Suddenly the setup of two friends playing in a warehouse takes on an ominous turn!
Great game!! i have to try it :)
Slight design improvement idea: Color one side of the plates and the have to be flipped. This will result in a different color for the "zero" plane and aid to see the walkable path. You could also color the -1 plane so this will result in three different colors one for each plane.
Dude, this is perfect! It conbines two of my greatest loves. The yin/yang, black/white play and hexagonal shapes! You're a genious :D
I hope this video generates all the attention and appreciation it deserves. Your enthusiasm is catching!
This seems like as good a place as any to tell you this.
I love watching your videos. I love hearing your thought process and seeing how you think through problems. Your videos are very easy to watch and understand for someone like me who may not have prior knowledge of some topics and concepts, but is willing to do a little further reading. Even the mundane things you put out on your secondary channel are interesting to me.
I subscribe only to you and to one other person, because you both have a very similar and appealing attitude. In an environment where we are inundated with advertisements and youtubers waste cumulative hours of our lives with self-promotion, you focus completely on your project and let the rest work itself out. You invite genuine people to give feedback in a very personable way, and you are also not afraid to tell inflammatory people that they are welcome to go away and find someone else to watch. I love you for this. You are like a breath of fresh air.
This video came up randomly in my feed - but well done RUclips for showing it to me. Interesting game and it seems simple to make. I enjoyed your unhurried explanation of the make process.
Dude, this is one of the coolest frickin' things I've seen in decades. I am SO stoked about recreating this and gifting it to loved ones (and keeping one for ME!) Great job!
heey pocket, I m watching your videos for 3 years or so and I realy enjoy them.
I m a carpenter in switzerland, your style to build things and solve problems is realy inspiering, thx a lot for that.
keep up the good work!
(to all grammernazis: pls dont hunt me down)
I appreciate the support! Thanks for telling me that.
108 / 5 000
You are a genius with a heart of gold. May God bless you for your love and selflessness. Greetings from the Czech Republic.
Very nice! Strangely I've been working on a game project myself the last few weeks.
Glad you stopped by. Making sure that I didn't overlook anything was really tough on this one. If yours is an original game concept, I wish you the best of luck. You make some of the best content on this medium in my opinion, so I look forward to it.
In the most sincere and non-soliciting way, I really do recommend playing this game if you like 2-player board games. There's now a computer version pinned on top of the comments.
I'm just making a new board for an existing game. Nothing so original as this. I might make myself a set of this game to try though, looks great!
You could totally change your glass beads for bees and call it Bee Chess! Excellent work. Looks awesome.
How about _Bee Battle?_ We could make the bases flower patches!
Very good idea! This is also very amicable to being turned into an Android/iOS app.
Beetle for short
Wow. That's app culture, huh? Immediately after discovering a classy, chess style game, you attempt to slap a cute character and some branding on it.
I don't think that has to be a bad thing. I mean, you're right in a way, but if you can get kids to play a smart game, especially a board game, a little embellishment doesn't hurt. It doesn't take away from the classy version. I mean, battle bees vs buzzing beetles sounds kinda cool.
lol. This is coming from a person who is presently playing SpongeBob's _Battle for Bikini Bottom,_ though. So what do I know?
Pocket83, You should market this! It's not every day that you see a new kind of game pop up, and this has some serious potential to become pretty popular.
Thank you!
mrs. pocket kicked your ass at the end lol. awesome concept i feel like this would be one of the board games that blows up in popularity it looks super fun.
The random solutions throughout your videos are always great. Your bigger projects are always fascinating, but THIS is really really cool. Damn, dude.
;)
One the best 20 mins I've ever spent. Definitely one of your finest and well designed projects! Much love
Wow, that's really nice of you! Thanks.
I worked pretty hard on this one.
That table saw jig is wonderful.
Thanks! Hex tiles are a pretty common problem in the wood-working world. This is the simplest approach I could come up with.
@pocket83, have you considered a Kickstarter campaign for this game? Because, I would back the hell outta this. Really awesome, man. You never cease to impress.
He did show you how to make it.
hahaha no! its not real unless its funded, made, manufactured, advertised and sold! for profit. Cheers :)
Thank you for a very clear explanation of how to build this game. I'm looking forward to trying to create my own game - which looks really interesting - from your design.
This is great stuff. Thank you. I like the idea of using a laser cutter to bang out the hexs and even etch the hex pattern on the board. You could hand-roll the side pieces so that you still have all that lovely mahogany.
Pocket, an extra like and thank you. Your video editing, filmography etc add to my enjoyment but most of all thank you for omission of loud, repetition music clips. I’m always interested and often fascinated by your videos!
Thank you. I don't understand the loud music thing, either. it's like an assault on your concentration. ¡Especially on 'how-to' videos.
Love anything hexagon shape. For crafters, a Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting machine easily cuts anything that can be cut with a scissors, e.g., chip board, thin veneer, craft foam, etc. Sizzix makes steel-rule hexagon dies in various sizes. Certainly not as beautiful or precise as yours, but available to someone who likes the game but doesn't have your skills or equipment. Many thanks for sharing this fun game.
Thanks, I like the fact you showed how to make it with foam for people who don't have many tools!! I love your videos and there very inspiring!
Excellent game! I played a round of this tonight with two friends - won one, lost one - and found it both challenging and enjoyable.
The only criticism I have is that with two cautious players the game can stall for a while in the middle before one makes a breakthrough.
Yes. If you choose, you can add intensity by adding pieces (or players! Try 3-play). Thanks for the feedback!
amazing how your mind works to be able to see the concept for this in just the shapes of a hexagon.. great video as always too
This is awesome, Pocket. The only power tool in my apartment is a drill, so now I have to talk someone into making this for me...
to help with stacking and positioning - you should add a little dimple in the middle of each tile, and the reverse on the other side. (possibly with a small bead)
this would avoid a problem with the magnet idea where you pick up a top tile and the bottom tile comes with it
Clever trick making it a multi-plane board certainly differentiates it from a lot of turn based board games. Great idea.
this could even be a three player game with the diffrent levels -1 , 0 and +1
That is a brilliant idea.
good idea but one problem it starts at zero
It's not a problem. I've play tested it and it seems to check out. Any advantage is neutralized from the fact that 0 level players still have to move tiles, so they are forced to work the map against themselves.
It really is a wildly complex concept. So far I'm impressed, but I need more time with it.
pocket83 but then even though they work it against themselves, in the case of spending moves for other things, it kills moves being used for other things because player level 0 would always use the tile moving move, and the teleport across map would be completely removed. Plus what color would they be? Gray? If you change it to more colorful team scheme that may make them stand out to far from the board forcing you to replace the board completely, which may, or may not be a problem to you, depending on how much free time you have
pocket83 I want to see this: double the board size, have six colors, and each player gets four pieces starting in the center of their base row. Each player would try to reach the side opposite to their base, with half being diggers and half being builders, or even two diggers, two builders, and two on the middle ground. I can think of so many possibilities for this amazing game!
Nice game!! Awesome work as well!! My dad was the king of jigs so I have a soft spot for them too. Love the jig you made for the tiles!! I can't wait to make one of my own. Even if not for this game, for making hexes of other sizes for crafts!! Well done!!
This is a great idea! I'm usually not the type to play board games, but this look really fun! I'd certainly play it.
Excellent work, man.
My son and I made this this last weekend in maybe an hour or two. We made it out of foam using sharp knives. Precision isn't actually as important as one may think. I'd post a picture or two but youtube doesn't have a quick easy way to do that and sometimes it will mark comments with links as spam.
Regarding the gameplay, it's an easy to learn game that is fairly entertaining. We started off with a quick prototype made from hexagonal glass beads that I found at the craft store. After realizing it was indeed a fun game, my son did most of the cutting and we had a full sized game relatively quickly.
I know this isn't the latest video, but I thought I'd contribute something in some way! To stop the path pieces moving, I suggest giving the tops of the pieces small cylinders, about half the width of the hexagons. Then, insert the same sized cylinder as a hole in the bottom of the piece. These will stop the pieces moving, and the male piece will act as a handle to lift the pieces out of the 'sea of pieces' in the beginning. Also, add a small grove in the handle for the player pieces to fit in.
Amazing concept, nothing like any game i've come across anyhow. Every time I watch your videos I feel like your voice sounds so familiar - you sound a lot like Rick Lax the magician/deception expert :) great vid keep up the awesome work.
Every time I watch a video by you, i cry a little on the inside because these projects are amazing and i cannot do any of them as I lack the necessities :' (
This is excellent. You have given me a ton of ideas for some of my own personal projects moving forward. Great video.
The foam cutting pipe is a nice little idea. Well done video.
Added to my list of things to build!
Love the concept and it was a pleasure to have some insight into your process and development of the game!
Looks like a great game, may I suggest maybe putting a tiny pin on the bottom of each tile and a hole in the top, this could keep them from shifting out of place. Just a thought
This is an amazing concept. I am actually really inspired. I think one improvement is to allow the pieces to lock together with the game board somehow. This could improve the feel of the game in a similar way the hexagonal lines add visual structure.
My reasoning for this is imagine chess or checkers yet the square pieces on the game board were pieces of paper that slid ever so slightly while trying to play. This would distract players from the game slightly. The hexagonal pieces, while movable, function like tiles of a game board, but since they slide around a small amount of effort is placed on maintaining the board instead of playing the game. This is of course a small thing and admittedly just one of my pet peeves, but I think it would be a great improvement.
As soon as I get a garage and tools of my own I will most definitely try my hand at making this game!
Thanks. As it stands, it's not frustrating to play this way. However, it's still on my bucket list to make either a (slightly larger) tumbled marble version, or else a magnetic board.
There are also electronic alternatives now.
Sir I loved how you used mathematics and geometry and your game is excellent 😎
This is amazing. So simple you can make it yourself but full of strategy and thought. I think I'm going to draw it up in 3D CAD to try and design a semi interlocking/easy to move 3D printed version to try out.
sweet game man. i might try to 3d print one of these for personal use. ive always liked your videos because of the weird ways you solve problems and create things, but to be inspired to do one of your builds for myself is a first. keep up the good work!
Pocket, (does saying it without the 83 offend you? "Hey Mr. Horsedick?" "...dot mpeg...") this is an amazing board game concept. I can't wait to make my own! You have quickly become my favorite RUclipsr. Keep up the good work!
p.s. That quote is from Miss March.
p.s.s. Altered Beast is a classic. Nice shout out.
i just found your channel (and this video) and i have to say, this video makes me want to get out my x-acto blade and buy some craft foam to make a board game of my own (and build yours as well, because it seems like something really fun that you can quickly explain to friends and have a fun board game evening with them)
I'm going to build this for in between rounds at mtg game days. This looks brilliant. great work
Thank you. I hope you like it.
Few suggestions;
Add magnets to the board pieces, makes them snap into place, and can make them easier to pick up with a stick that has a magnet.
Make the board larger and add more layers, this would make the game longer with more depth. Along with this, add random heights to the start of the game, like mountains and valleys.
Also make a chess version, but when you 'capture' the opponent's piece, you also move to that layer, as long as that layer is one up or down; playing off the idea with multiple layers, if the opponent is +2, you can't capture them and they can't capture you.
Also going off the ideas of multiple layers, and the chess idea; bridges. Make the rule something like +3 layer height and takes two initial moves of crafting for a one space of gap and on move for each additional gap, so a 4 space gap would take 2 full turns before movement. And do the same thing with a tunneling system for the low team. Also have a stair system that takes a full turn to allow a team to move up/down at a certain tile. Could also, for extreme differences like 4 layers, use ropes to climb and rappel.
Also, there would need to be an addition of archers for low/high battling, and essentially make it a dice roll and whoever wins will win the battle, but not capturing that tile. And why not make all the battles dice based.
Could also add a 'crafting' system, full turn, but gives that piece the addition of a shield or more powerful weapon, giving that person two dice rolls instead of one during battles, excluding archers.
3d layer based chess with crafting systems and dice based battles would add a lot more strategy, complexity, and chance over traditional chess. Though I'm not sure how you would adapt chess to a hexagonal board.
I expected a high quality pocket83-video and I am very happy. 🐔
Pocket, I don't know if you "take requests" but I DO know you read your comments and engage with your viewers to some extent.
So, I pause at 2:41 to say the following:
I know you are one of the more *intellectual* woodworkers/craftsman on YT. I have followed your channel(s) for some time and have become quite impressed with your line and level of wood stuffs. If you are familiar with it, I had a thought on what a game based on the short story "Lineland" would be all about. I think you could do a pretty kick-ass strategy/board game with it.
This video reminded me of it a great deal.
Alright, on with the show... *clicks "Play"*
That was an excellent video!!! I loved every second. Now I've added a new jig or two to the list of shop projects and super neat family project comes out of it all. Great stuff!!!
This game looks like a LOT of fun and now I want to build one myself.
I just did some calculations and it turns out that this game has a fatal flaw.
Just kidding. Looks really fun tho.
That just gave me a chill.
You could make one side and the base a completely different colour so that the colour difference between 0, +1 and -1 is significant.
^^^ I like that idea. Black or brown trenches, green base height, and white or grey snowy mountain peaks. Adds a certain Carcassonne or Civilization aesthetic
You had me going there jerk. lol
Love this. Absolutely going to make this game. Thanks for working out the details and providing plans for it.
Certainly. Let me know it if you liked how the game plays.
This reminds me of Tak, both have concepts of crossing the board and height as a mechanic. But this is definitely its own thing and looks awesome!
Ummm, isn't white under threat @20:00 but you did not take her out... Am I misunderstanding the rules?
I messed up. We were going too fast, and I, umm, lost.
no shame in losing, I just wondered if I was misunderstanding. The hex tiles seem like they might be a bit annoying to separate and pickup, since they fit so snugly... not sure how to tweak it though. Magnets? finger cutouts in the tile edges? Recessed places in the game board? Hmmm.
(No, it was my mistake). That seems to be shaping up to be a common complaint/suggestion for improvement. I like the magnet idea, but as the game has been presented, it hasn't been frustrating to play. Remember that Checkers also uses loose pieces.
Still, my perfect version would probably be larger, tumbled stone tiles. I may yet do an improvement, like a sandstone one, depending on this video's popularity.
You are right about checkers.
Ahhh, hex pieces with a raised ridge, so they lock together when stacked, like checkers pieces! And as Checkers shows us, the game board could be a larger hex field than the tiles. Then they would have space. but I should stop critiquing something I haven't even tried yet. thanks for the interesting vid.
No, by all means- great ideas.
Great idea - my reaction is you should color the floor of the board black, and you should color the hex tiles white on their bottom sides. That way when someone digs, it reveals black floor (for the black pieces), and the tile gets flipped over and placed to create a white raised path (for the white pieces).
at 20:07 there was a white piece closest to the camera under threat that isnt being moved or captured, was this an oversight or am i missing something inthe rules you described
"what up wayne" sent me here love it pocket !! new subscriber now !
This is FANTASTIC! I'm going to make it on my CNC Laser hopefully today. Will try and post a link for photos when done. thanks!!!
Great. Good luck! Also let me know if you liked playing it.
Great job, but I have a suggestion for you. Even though you put the barriers at the end of the board, tiles can still move freely. My suggestion is that each tile on the underside has two tenons and two holes on the upper side. Also the plate would have two holes drilled for each tile. So in that way all tiles would always be blocked and they would not be able to move freely. The easiest way would be to drill holes through all tiles, and then put tenons in the drilled holes.
i know it was probably a lot of work, but PLEASE make more cool board games, you seem to have great ideas
I'm rewatching this video to revise the rules but I'm wondering what's the significance of the " *h4* " you labelled the board at 18:15. I'm assuming it's some mathematical notation but I've never encountered it before
this game looks awesome, i think i might attempt to build it. the only change i think i might do is put magnets in the hexagonal pieces to keep them from sliding around
Reminds me a little bit of Stacked, in the way that you move tiles around, but this is totally different and awesome.
Looks like a really cool concept. I'd consider a feature that makes it easier to pick up inner tiles. little raised notches on top, or cut the perimeter on the bottom, so you can cause the piece to tilt with pressure making it easier to grab.
I really like the fact it has only four pieces for each team.
In theory (and depending on the type of board you make), the tiles _could_ be beveled at a low angle in order to cause that pressured pop-up you're talking about. But there's also a slightly simpler solution, which happens as a result of a sort of balance between a few other design elements.
The best way I've found to play is to use larger, marble tiles that have been given a felt bottom. Such tiles behave with a slight pop-up on a back press, and in combination with their larger size & mass (and the slop/play in-between tiles), they become quite easy to grab.
As for the game itself, it has held up to scrutiny pretty well over the years. I will still happily recommend playing this. In fact, of all my videos, this remains the one I most regret not better promoting and developing.
Thanks for stopping by.
This is absolutely amazing! Much hard work and effort put into this beautiful game!
I just discoverd your game, and i'm already loving it! I hope you will made it created industrialy to commercial applications, because it's awsome! (and I hope you have protected it to prevent industry to sold it without paying you what they have too!)
very nice game, i'll give it a try for sure, i notice sometimes you have to re arrange the tiles, maybe adding some magnets to the center of the tiles and some nails at the board, that could help self align the tiles i think.
great content!
Have to make this to play with my friends!!! Also I'm pondering the possibility of boards that allow more players, very interesting thought.
This board can be played by three people. Player three has to stay on 0 value tiles, and still must make build moves.
Comments in a nutshell
1.amazing job
2.you should do a mod of this game
3.why you didn't it the white piece at 20.00
Me: everything above
Also,keep up the great work
Edit: why you didn't capture the white piece
Very nice
Your woodworking skills are impressive and the game seems simple, yet challenging.
For people who lack the tools, skill, or time, hex ceramic tiles could be used for the game pieces. I'm not much of a board game player, but I think I will make one of these when I get my new 3D printer set up. Thank you.
This is awesome! I'm gonna go to the shop tomorrow and buy stuff to make this. I don't have a shop or any tools but I've always wanted to try something like this :-)
Thanks
Also, I was thinking. You could embed magnets into the board and tiles and pieces to make them snap to the correct positions... maybe. Will have a go I think :-)
great job ! i just have one question: at 19:58, are the black can capturing the white or the white can capturing the black ? or maybe no one can capture each other.. ?
Amazing job. This should become a household game. So interesting and a beautiful design on it's own. You've thought of something original. Not easy to say these days
Moving the tiles of the board itself as part of a move opens up a whole load of possible game mechanics.
HOLY SHIT
an original game!
it may sound odd to some but it's been a long time since i've seen one of those
What you could've done is put up small "walls" in between the pieces, to not only make it the pieces easier to pick up, but also the pieces wouldn't move as much during play. Other than that, i love this game and this video! I'm now highly considering making one for myself.
You just reinvented quoridor.
Looks like good one! Perhaps some magnets to hold the tiles in place. Thanks for sharing!
Dude! This looks actually really fun. Really genius
A few questions on this build (which is awesome and will be a build this summer after a trefoil knot):
1. Why didn't you spray the "home base" pieces prior to mounting to the board? Some double sided tape to hold them to a piece of scrap so the bottoms don't get covered with paint. That seems like it would have been easier.
2. If you do the hexagonal lines prior to the oil application, will the ink smudge/smear?
3. General ?? about your videos - I've noticed you're a fan of teak oil. Can I ask why? Does it leave a greasy/oily feel after it's absorbed, or do you need to wipe it away? Does it need to be reapplied?
Thanks. I love your videos, and some of the tips/tricks that you show are invaluable. I'm probably one of the few that appreciate the math/science you include in your videos, as well. Keep up the good work.
1) Harder to glue if they are painted. Paint gets damaged. Can't oil first either, or wood glue won't stick. 2) No. But I prefer one coat of oil before lines, and then two after. That looks the best. I used Helmsman Teak, so it is not like regular oil; it's more like linseed oil or polyurethane. It's NOT like WATCO, which is more like a kerosene and oil mix. Test on scraps first- every time.
3) I'll make a second channel video. It's about time I addressed that.
Thanks for the interest ;)
Thanks for the replies. If I paint prior to glueing, the glued surfaces will be masked...we shall see.
Also, do you have a separate zero clearance inserts for your table saw for common angles?
I'm an engineer, so I live and die by details :)
No problem, you're in good company! Ask anything you like- that's what I'm here for.
No, I meant that clamping will damage the soft paint. The procedure I used is quite easy, so I wouldn't really recommend doing it in a different order. As for the zero-inserts, I do have them for every common angle.
I hope you enjoy the game ;)
Re: clamping the paint - gotcha. This was a concern of mine, since until the paint film has fully cured (days, weeks?), it can be marred easily. Thanks again, and looking forward to more project ideas, tips, tweaks and insights :)
There are two puzzle games that use the same premise. And their integration would add quite an interesting aspect to your game.
The first, taken from chinese checkers, would be a 4 player game. In this case, you could have lower blacks and whites vs higher blacks and whites, played with the same capture rules, although you may only get 3 pions each.
The second puzzle is sort of a reverso puzzle. It was nicely featured in the anime Phi Brain on episode 29 I believe. The idea would involve painting one side of the tiles or staining it darker, and turning the board on it's vectors.
Once done, you take one player on each end and move them one tile per turn in any direction. In doing so, you are able to flip over 2 tiles to the 4 corners, making a 4x4 "x" shape. If the tile has already been turned, you can then capture the opponent's tiles. If you step adjacent 2 of the opponent's tiles, you have permission only to turn over one of them.
The game can be played for a set number of turns, or until one player has conquored the board.
I look forward to making this puzzle and would like to know the name you gave it, since I can see it being a household name, like chess, checkerds and Shogi
you could make the tiles with the 2x4 the add a veneer to the top and bottom to avoid a complex jig
Or just paint them like othello pieces with a smooth low-friction paint.
Fascinating seeing how your mind works.
“If you only knew the magnificence of the three, the six and the nine…
then you would have a key to the universe.” -Nikola Tesla
This is awesome. I can't wait to try it out. The only issue I may have is constructing the sled.
Buying a mosaic tile mat is an option. They're pretty affordable. Check the description.
That is my Plan B approach but I really want to challenge myself to replicate your jig.
Let me know if I can help at all. You can do it.
Roger Davis I
Excellent. This project begs for a 3D printing template. You could easily then scale the entire game to any size. By making the grid pieces thicker you could also make negative space inside to accomodate a cr232 button batter, small rare earth magnets, and a smt hall effect transistor to change the state of a 3 color led so that each elevation of boxes to floor would light up a different color. Thanks for sharing something worthy of patent and sell to someone like milton bradley.
Well, good luck with that. Just give me credit! I would still prefer to play with stone tiles over all the electronic stuff. I'm becoming a bit of a Luddite. Great ideas, though.