Pushing a quick fix today: the player handicap limit will scale with your VP to Win setting, and fixing a bug where handicaps were invisible in-game. You can give up to half the game’s “VP to Win” goal as a head start for any player.

This is the update I’ve been waiting for: local multiplayer for Hex Gambit: Respawned is pretty much done! I might make some of the maps and captains unlockable through the single player, but what beta testers have in their hands today is pretty much the real deal.

House Rules will be EXCELLENT for spicing up any friendly tournaments you guys might want to host (drop me a line if you want help promoting your tournament). Here’s what you can change about your matches now:

• Victory Points to Win: 5-20. Your minion stock will automatically increase/decrease with the goal.
• AP per turn and max AP charge can be tweaked.
• Undos per turn: reduce them or turn them off.
• Turn timers! Give players 10s to 1m30s to complete their turns. Challenge yourself with a timer against the AI.
• Moving and Spawning minion costs can be lowered, or Spawning can cost double if you like.
• Starting minions can be reduced or turned off to start from scratch.
• Toggle spaces can be disabled on the maps that use them.

Next up: I’m prototyping for the single player challenges!

What’s new this update:

• House Rules: Customize all kinds of stuff, play your way!
• VP to Win goal has been added to the Pause screen.
• Level select and game setup screen has been jazzed up.
• Tweaked end turn/undo/spawn menus under the hood, modifying how/when they transition in and out.

Two map themes, six map layouts, new Toggle Space bonuses, and a top-to-bottom optimization pass. I’ve been busy this month!

The Powerhouse is a neat indoor theme with some VERY Outwitters-esque gameplay: you’ll gain a bonus AP each turn you own this map’s toggle space! This was the first time I’ve ever lit anything that wasn’t an outdoors scene, so I did bang my head against the wall getting everything to look and perform nicely here. But it’s got a unique look, and I learned a lot.

The Waterworks map’s bonus was probably inspired by playing hydrosophist in Divinity, because it shoots healy water. All damaged units on your team are healed by 1 at the start of your turns if you own the toggle space – a little regen for free.

So that’s seven map themes done, 21 maps total, and the project is mostly ready for a console port if things pan out on that front. Next update: local multiplayer will be wrapped after I polish up the Map Select and add some options for House Rules. Then it’s on to 0.2 – single player challenge maps!

What’s new this update:

• Two new map themes: Powerhouse and Waterworks
• Added a section on Toggle Spaces to How to Play.
• Improved Motivator and Brute AI
• Added visual hint when you don’t have enough AP, or a move isn’t cooled down.
• Optimized hex tile rendering and lights for better performance.
• Added Press Start to Main Menu for possible console port.
• Added loading screen and revamped loading/unloading of levels for possible console port.
• Tab and Esc are no longer the same as pressing Start on the main menus.
• Fixed a visual issue where minions floated a little above the ground

I was going to keep my head down and power through the new map I’m in the middle of, but it’s been too long since you saw what I’m doing, so here’s a new dev video!

The Summit is new for beta testers in 0.1.7. It’s a snowy ode to the original Hex Gambit, complete with all three of the old faction statues. You’ll find another unique Toggle Space there, which moves one of your captain’s pillars out of reach from enemies. That pillar is VERY exposed when you call it back, so be ready to take advantage when it flips.

Other changes this update:

• Improved AI for claiming Toggle Spaces.
• Added forcefields to Toggle Spaces and Spawns to reduce first turn advantage.
• The right mouse button is now automatically “released” during cut scenes.

What’s up! Dropping a quick update for our beta testers today with a new map theme called the Laserdome! No video for now (they’re a bit time consuming to produce, so I’m waiting until I have more to show).

Each of the map themes has a gameplay flavor to it, and this one adds a whole new tile called a Toggle Space. If you were an Outwitters fan, you might know these as Capture Spaces – it’s the same mechanic with a very different movement system! Simply run (or swat, or dash) a minion across the space to claim it.

If your team still owns the toggler at the start of your turn, the map’s laser turret with automatically fire on a random enemy! It deals a reasonable two damage for a modest advantage that’s super satisfying.

I’m jumping straight into the next map now, which will feature more Toggle Spaces that control a different map advantage.

Other changes this update:

• Lolli now needs 3VP to use his Captain’s Gambit.
• Units like the Sniper can now shoot through allied units, just like their own.
• Added legs to the Captains’ victory/defeat portraits
• Added more rollover tips for special spaces, and changed the way hex snapping/hovering works.

An exciting update to the Hex Gambit: Respawned Demo and Beta today: the eighth and final minion class is here! The Punk is a combat unit that punches well above his weight.

• His Roll ability lets hims cut through lines of minions, dealing damage to any enemies you can line up, and providing a little extra mobility.
• Split Strike is the main reason I wanted to squeeze him in before calling the minion roster done. It deals damage equal to half your target’s HP, rounded up. So the bigger they are, the harder it hits!

Other fixes and changes in 0.1.5:

• Redistributed the minion loadouts for extra variety.
• Smarter AI is now smarter. Changed the way activate/deactivating minions works under the hood.
• Overhauled camera system to behave itself.
• Fixed floating minions on the Battle Hall maps.
• Grim Drake’s Gambit will no longer target spawning minions.

The captains and map updates gave me a lot of pretty new content to showcase, so I thought it was time for another trailer! Wishlist Hex Gambit: Respawned on Steam today.

Just added to the beta: 9 total maps (three 2 player, three 3 player, and 3 four player with 2v2 versions of each!), plus a new tile type to enjoy: springboard barriers. Use them for cover, then hop right over when you’re ready to fight.

Here’s a breakdown of the new map themes:

• Battle Hall: The vanilla version of Hex Gambit. Lots of open spaces around the pillars for tapping.
• Courtyard: Crowdsurfing chaos with springboards galore.
• Forest Ruins: Close quarters maps for the battle-inclined.

Other fixes and changes in 0.1.4:

• Swapped the Cancel and Accept buttons for controllers!
• Swapped Violet for Abbacus in the demo (because the cursor starts on him, but he was locked, which was awkward, and it was easier to just switch them than to make the cursors start in different positions for the demo and the main game)
• Demo’s 4 player/2v2 map is completely new. Its other maps have springboards added.
• Adjusted Lolli’s AI to be less picky about using his Captain’s Gambit.
• Bjorgolf’s AI is now more picky about using his Captain’s Gambit .
• Brute’s AI now takes Inspire into consideration when using Wrecker.
• Fixed a bug with being able to crowdsurf the ghosts of dead frozen characters.

What’s new with the Hex Gambit: Respawned beta this month? 5 new captains to play with, and all 10 Captain’s Gambit powers are working! Your Captain’s Gambit will be familiar for those of you that played the original HG: it’s a power you can use when you’re losing to help you catch up.

Those of you enjoying the demo (see the link above) can also update to try the Gambits for the demo captains.

Here’s a rundown of those powers:

• Abbacus: Hard Reset – Replace a minion with a fresh copy.
• Bjorgolf: Cold Make Stop – Freeze an opponent for a turn.
• Dr. Superior: Alter Fate Itself – Summon 3AP from the celestial void of cheating.
• Grim Drake: No Mercy – Readies all cooldowns and lets moved units go again.
• Hexpert: Glitch – Add 3 to any unit’s health, even above their usual max.
• Lolli: No Backsies – Swap a minion with your enemy.
• Molera: Immolation – Destroy your own minion and gain 2VP.
• Penny Miser: Take a Penny – 1 damage to all enemies.
• Salvador: Protect – Make an ally invincible for a turn.
• Violet: Smackdown – Reduces any minion to 1HP.

Here’s what else is new:

• Option of choosing No Captain with random loadout.
• Pacifist’s Pacify now costs 0.
• Fixed a bug with dying minions being crowdsurfable
• Fixed some bugs with AI targeting/move use
• Fixed a bug to let you undo a Player KO (when you kill all their minions and cover the spawn).

Did you miss my Steam Game Festival stream of Hex Gambit: Respawned yesterday? Had something better to do at 3pm on a weekday? Don’t sweat it, now you can watch the rerun at your leisure.

Don’t forget to grab the demo while it’s up and play it for yourself! And if you haven’t already added HGR to your Steam wishlist, there’s no time like the present! That would really help me out.