How to Play Hex Foundry: Pipes, Pulses and Reactor Routes

What is Hex Foundry?

Hex Foundry is an online circuit duel for 1v1, 3v3 and 5v5 teams. Claim and rotate pipe tiles to connect your team's outer edge to the center reactor. Every 4.5 seconds, the server checks the circuit. Each connected center tile scores two points for its team on that pulse. The first team to reach 20 points wins; if neither reaches it, the score at the 90-second horn decides, with up to 15 seconds of overtime for a tie.

The central challenge is continuity. A bright looking route does not score unless the pipes actually connect through claimed tiles all the way from your side.

Build a route that the pulse can trace

The board has five rows and seven columns. Alpha enters from the left edge; Beta enters from the right. Click or tap a tile to rotate it one quarter turn and claim it for your team. The pipe openings on neighboring tiles must face each other. A claimed tile with a pipe pointing into a neighbor's closed side breaks the circuit.

Begin at one edge tile, then extend toward the center rather than clicking scattered tiles. Before the next pulse, inspect every join along the route. If an opponent reclaims one tile, repair that break first. A route that reaches several center tiles can earn points on repeated pulses, so defending an existing connection often pays more than starting a second incomplete path.

You can reclaim a rival's tile with your own click, but doing so rotates it too. Check where its openings will point afterward. The primary action has a short wait between uses, making each rotation a deliberate choice.

Skill choices for a circuit duel

Select three skills before joining; use Q, E and R or the on-screen skill buttons. They share the same general rules as Arcadigo's other five skill games, but some have a particularly useful effect here:

• Echo adds a point when your next tile action succeeds. It does not replace the need to connect a scoring route.
• Surge briefly speeds your action tempo, useful when one rotation can restore a broken circuit before a pulse.
• Jam slows a rival's tempo and suppresses Echo's bonus during its effect. Ward blocks one Jam, while Cleanse removes it and grants brief protection.
• Phase can ready your next tile action. Use it when the pulse is close and your normal action is cooling down.

An easy starting loadout is Echo, Surge and Cleanse: score a small bonus, make timely repairs and protect your turn from Jam. If an opponent relies on rapid tile changes, replace one with Jam. Skill timing should support a route; clicking tiles without checking their ports still wastes the pulse.

Play the clock in each format

In 1v1, build one reliable circuit and watch where the other player can break it. In 3v3, teammates can split the work: one claims edge tiles, one extends the middle and one watches for enemy repairs. In 5v5, communicate which row is the priority so teammates do not undo one another's rotations.

The scoreboard changes at pulses rather than whenever you see a pipe connect. With little time left, fix a nearly complete route before opening a new one. When leading, denying the opponent's center connection may be more valuable than chasing one extra Echo point.

Start a match with people or AI

Play Bots begins an unranked match immediately with AI in empty seats. Instant Match looks for human players and then fills open seats with labelled AI after a short wait; Human Only waits for people. These choices are available in 1v1, 3v3 and 5v5.

For a private game, use Invite friends and share the link. Friends choose Alpha or Beta; the host can fill remaining seats with bots when the group is ready. The bots rotate and claim tiles under the same action and skill cooldowns.

For your first round, choose a row, trace a complete route from your side to the center and watch it survive one pulse. Then expand or defend it. Play Hex Foundry to try the circuit yourself.