I love a good fantasy book with magical themes. In fact, a quick look at my Goodreads bookshelf of recently read books confirms this is one of my go-to genres. So it’s fitting that when an opportunity comes up to explore a board game with a wizarding theme, I’d jump at the chance.
Hexes of Sygon, designed by Alex Cacheris, is worker placement, area control, and resource management game.
Gameplay Overview:
In a game of Hexes of Sygon, each player controls a cabal of three wizards. Players place wizards on hex-shaped tiles to gain resources, which can then be used to build cities. New constructions like town halls, markets, and workshops earn points at the end of each round. Players can also build city walls, which serve a dual purpose of protection and victory points.
Each round follows the same rhythm, as players move their wizards around the landscape, build cities, steal or forage for resources, and protect their own interests. Once a city is established, it can generate its own specific resources based on its location. All the while, the threat of volcanic eruptions lurks in the background. A single eruption can wipe out nearby wizards and their cities. Volcanic ash can also overrun the landscape, transforming playable areas and reducing resource yields. The first player to reach the required victory points wins.
Game Experience:
I have a confession: I’ve never played Catan, the game to which others have compared Hexes of Sygon. I didn’t even know the general premise until researching Hexes of Sygon. While I considered embracing that ignorance, I ultimately decided to gather my board game crew—some of whom do have Catan experience—and blend our impressions. One note before I dive in: I received a pre-production copy, so I won’t comment on component quality.
Hexes of Sygon is a sizeable, component-filled game. This makes setting up a commitment. After a couple of trial plays, I timed the set up at about 30 minutes. For a relatively straightforward game, this felt hefty. So, I recommend inviting all players to join in and help.
After set-up, guiding a cabal of wizards to collect resources and conjure buildings amid erupting volcanoes is as chaotic and delightful as it sounds. Keeping each player’s turn quick maintains an engaging rhythm. The game supports 2-4 players with an option for 2 v 2 team play. We played at two and three players.
Hexes of Sygon thankfully avoids punishing randomness and offers catch-up mechanics, most notably in the form of spell cards that feel like casting clever counterspells. For players who start off in a weaker position, there’s always hope of recovery. Spell cards are an optional feature, and players may purchase them with gold or resources. I found that purchasing and using the spell cards was helpful, while others found they competed for already limited early game resources. Some players also felt spell cards became less relevant during the later stages of gameplay. Regardless of my opinion on spell cards, my playtesters agreed that the player agency in this game elevates it above Catan.
Like a shifting illusion, the game board changes with each playthrough, keeping gameplay fresh. We discovered early on that careful shuffling of the hexes (using the washing method) made for more random board layouts, which improved game balance play. However, some groups might prefer clustering particular resources or volcanoes to amplify competition or limit destruction.
Whether you’re a lone necromancer plotting in silence or a boisterous battlemage cackling at your foes, Hexes of Sygon rewards cunning, adaptability, and a flair for the dramatic. Thieving wizards and erupting volcanoes elevate what would otherwise be a dry resource game into a tale of arcane ambition. For those who enjoy some head-to-head gameplay, you’ll find a light version of that here. While the magical theme is strong, some mechanics (especially resource gathering and building) feel conjured from a more mundane realm and only reskinned with a thin veneer of wizardry and fantasy.
With so many hexes, spells, and strategic paths, some players may fall into a trance of indecision, slowing the game to a crawl, and some may find using the included timer helpful. I’ll note that this led to an end-of-round confusion trying to remember just what to add to our victory points and caused the game’s rhythm–move, build, cast, erupt– to lose its glamour. Expect moments of triumph as your settlement survives a volcanic eruption, and despair when your carefully laid plans are obliterated by lava flow and ash-covered hexes.
Hexes of Sygon is a straightforward game, but its rulebook reads like a dense wizard’s grimoire, complete with variation tips. Multiple player aides help, but first-time players may need guidance from a seasoned sage. Scoring caused particular confusion. For all its detail, the rulebook provides little explanation about the end-of-round scoring and victory points. We handled scoring differently across our various test plays and landed on only scoring buildings upon completion (the designer confirmed this is correct). This led to questions about wall enclosures that are complete, destroyed by volcanic eruptions, and then re-completed. Some house rules worked well here.
The timing of victory point scoring felt awkward. Points are awarded at the end of the round rather than immediately after completing buildings. While I understand the rationale—erupting volcanoes might destroy a wall and cancel that newly gained point—I would have preferred turn-based scoring, especially when playing as the first player.
The graphic design by Tony Harrop and John Harrop is bold and immersive, like walking into a small apothecary stocked with shelves of herbs and potions. There’s a lot to look at and take in and first time players may feel overwhelmed. However, the theme is luminous during play.
Final Thoughts:
Hexes of Sygon is a cauldron of tried and true mechanics, thematic richness, and light strategic depth. It may not be for the faint of heart or the impatient apprentice, but for those who revel in magical mayhem and tactical wizardry, it’s a spell worth casting.
My gameplay companions and I felt that there might be some opportunities for varied player interaction with resource trades. I also see an opportunity to broaden the diversity of the wizarding world of Sygon. My pre-production copy only came with bearded, presumably male wizards.
Final Score: 3 stars – A light-weight, thematically appealing head-to-head game, with great table presence.
Hits:
• Strong theme
• Player agency and catch-up mechanics
• Dynamic replay value
Misses:
• Analysis paralysis potential
• Rule set layers
• Set up to play time
