Hexcel

a visual pattern recognition game, designed with Scott Hoffer, Matt Parker, and Hsin-Ying Hsu, at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program | 2008

materials

wooden game box, hexagon tiles, pattern cards, six-sided die

gameplay

As the tiles on the game board are flipped from white to black and black to white, players must watch for the patterns on the cards to emerge on the game board.

Hexcel is a modular game platform with a rule set that is adjustable for different age groups. In the basic version of Hexcel (for ages 8 and up), just one board is used and the pattern cards are visible (see the photos above). Hexcel 2 (for ages 12 and up) utilizes both boards, hidden pattern cards, and additional rules to encourage the emergence of more complicated strategies. An informal pattern recognition activity for younger children has also been developed using this platform.

The rules of Hexcel and Hexcel 2 are explained in more detail below.