Xbox Live puzzle game Hexic arrives on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 devices

By Abhishek Baxi
last updated

Microsoft Studios has brought the classic puzzle game of Hexic to Windows Phone devices and Windows 8 devices. The game brings 100 challenging levels of geometric goodness in a new touch-friendly experience. Plus it's free!

The game features all new chain combos with swipe-and-match gameplay and mechanics originally designed by Alexey Pajitnov, creator of the legendary puzzle game Tetris. We've seen Hexic before as a Xbox Live title for Windows Phone 7 and the latest version looks to build upon the appeal of the previous.

All you need to do is create clusters of same-color hexagons to clear them from the board. But there are new touch controls and adventures as you go up against encryption cells, corruption clusters, mysterious dark fragments, and viral vectors.

The game also offers new boosts and assists that will send your scores soaring. It allows you to compare and compete for high scores with friends on level-by-level leaderboards.

You can also connect Hexic to Facebook and share your progress with your friends. While you play a level on your Windows Phone, you can pick from where you left off on your Windows 8 device.

Hexic is an addictive game as you spin and swipe your way through challenging levels. It is Xbox LIVE enabled, so the achievement hunters would find another reason to download and give this free game a whirl.

Download Hexic for Windows Phone 8 devices from the Windows Phone Store or for your Windows 8 devices from the Windows Store (opens in new tab).

Give it a spin, and let us know if you have what it takes to save Hexic?

Thanks, everyone, for the tip!

QR: Hexic

Abhishek Baxi
Abhishek Baxi
61 Comments
  • Downloading on my 920 now and will grab it on my Surface next time I'm on it. Xbox FTW
  • Ditto...  well I don't have a Surface but I'll be downloading it on to my Venue 8 Pro next time I'm on it.
  • Which surface do you have?
  • Surface RT 64GB. I love it.
  • I LOVE THIS GAME :D HAPPY DAYZ
  • Yes! I've been waiting for this game for months now, as I really loved Hexic Rush on Windows Phone. We knew that Hexic would be coming to Windows 8, but I believe the Windows Phone version is a surprise, and the pause-and-play features between the two versions is most appreciated! #SaveXboxWP
  • Can anybody please tell me the name of the track being played in background while we play this game???
  • YESSSSSS! This was a killer app for me on 360. Still hoping for a "next-gen" Hexic on Xbox One.
  • 'current gen'
  • Don't say that! I happen to agree with you that once a console has been released, it becomes "current gen", but I started an argument about it on Youtube that lasted for months! Trust me, it's not worth it. Let it go. 
  • Took this long since Zune HD to port this game, CMON MAN!!!
  • there is already a hexic WP7 game. It is acutally origined as a web game in 2003. Its been 12 years of the same crap!
  • Hexic rush has been available since 2011
  • I trust Microsoft, so I installed it anyway, but why the hell does Hexic need access to my location?!?
  • To generate a tiny bit of revenue probably, like most other apps.
  • Not only that, I can turn location off, but why the hell does it want access to my Picture Library and Music Library?! I will not install until this BS invasion of privacy changes. I will probably report a concern to MS as a privacy issue, maybe if enough people report a concern about this using the link in store or on web MS will consider changing this stupid policy of apps wanting access to stuff they have no business accessing.  
  • As a WP dev myself I know that the Advertising components need access to to Media libraries in order to cache their images and reduce network consumption. I wish that with WP8.1 they would introduce a new capability dedicated to advertising to improve this, so that apps that don't use Media library directly won't be marketed as such any more.
  • Ads. And it knows I'm in Canada but must think I'm in Quebec because mine are all in French. Anyway, you can pay for extra lives or click on an ad, which I don't mind one bit.
  • Downloading it on my 620 and I'll get it on my desktop PC when I get home.
  • Excellent! I loved this game on Xbox.
  • Me too.  I played the crap out of this game on my 360.  So happy a new version is out for the phone & tablet, AND IT'S FREE!  Downloaded!!!!!
  • Xbox LIVE!
  • Be sure to head to Twitter to tell Microsoft Studios thanks for this awesome Xbox-enabled game, and also to encourage them to keep the support coming--this is only the 4th Xbox game on Windows Phone in all of 2014 so far. Details on the #SaveXboxWP movement here.
  • Really? Only the 4th, oh my...I hope things speed up soon!
  • The icons/buttons are so small in my Lumia 920!!
  • I grabbed this one this morning based on how it was described. Haven't tried it yet.
  • Squeals! Happy. Wanted this for a long time
  • Sweeeeeetness
  • Umm, this app is asking for a lot of rights.  I can understand some, depending if the app is allowing me to play my own music, update xbox and leaderboards, etc.  But phone dialer?!?!?  Come on Microsoft, this should be a test case for your QA team to verify before release. 
    App requires Xbox phone identity owner identity location services music library photos library media playback data services phone dialer movement and directional sensor web browser component HD720P (720x1280) WVGA (480x800) WXGA (768x1280)
     
  • That's why its free. This is the new normal.
  • And then it'll dial a 1-900 number and charge me $$
  • Well then I will simply not use apps like this. But it goes against what Microsoft is preeching about customer privacy and not being like Google wanting access to all data, so this is complete BS hypocricy on Microsoft's part.  
  • Also why the hell does it want access to my Photos for F-sake.    
  • It wants to check out your sexiness.To see if the users who play these xbox live games are as live as the game.
    And it wants to check out your spacesuit of course.
  • I like it - it seems easier to control on the phone screen than the previous version, and there's a playfulness to it I enjoy.  On the other hand, I'm wary of any game that has consumable "boosts" that you can buy, and a slowly-refilling stock of 'lives'. I feel it's inevitable that they're going to eventually throw some ridiculous challenge at me that's unfair without using boosts and spending money. (Candy Crush, Throne Together, etc...). Granted, maybe they've got a good balance - I'll find out.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying it.  I don't know if there's a 'classic' or 'rush' mode yet... those may need to be unlocked? I share others' concerns about the amount of permissions it requests upon installation - although I suspect it's maybe just a bit of laziness on the dev's side rather than anything truly nefarious.  Hopefully. :^) Also - on my Lumia 920, the title and other graphics all seems shifted slightly to the left, and some of the text (eg. on the Achievements) is *really* small.  Hopefully stuff they'll address in an update.  
  • Great Xbox I'm on board for sure, good news!
  • Xbox games = automatic download
  • Absolutely! Xbox for the win. And pause-and-play between both WP and W8! Heck yeah. #SaveXboxWP
  • Needs color blind mode. Those yellow and green cubes are the same to me.
  • Wait a second, if they're the same to you, then how do you know they're different? Joking aside, surely there must be a color blind mode somewhere in the settings? All the previous Hexic games had them, no?
  • Yeah, puzzle games based on colors are so frustrating. And nope, no settings that I can find at all. Only thing you can do on the phone is turn the music on/off and a slide volume control on the Surface.
  • I see. That is not acceptable. I suggest Tweeting to Microsoft Studios and Phil Spencer and telling them it is missing color-blind mode. A list of Twitter accounts for Microsoft executives and Microsoft Studios can be found here. Add #SaveXboxWP and others may re-tweet you.
  • Viva La Zune!
  • I really like the bright, clean UI of the game, but I kind of miss the touch controls of Hexic Rush. I found them more intuitive. Still, looks like another solid  Hexic game.
  • This game has been on windows phone since windows phone 7... Hexic rush...
  • I loved Hexic Rush. Very challenging. Nothing is more rewarding than getting all of the achievements in that game, particularly the Black Pearl Flower.
  • Has been buggy for me, on my 1520 it booted out of the game twice while finishing a level and receiving the Line Clearing achievement, and booted out on the Quick Learner achievement. Plus I have found I am having to push certain buttons multiple times to register. Might just be because of my "fat fingers". But hey, its free and Xbox LIVE enabled so thank you and keep 'em coming!
  • I got booted too, only once so far. 1020 here
  • Does it kill The battery ?
  • Wow I just asked about Xbox live Microsoft games yesterday and Paul, being a gentleman he is answered about Hexic, and BAAM! today we got Hexic.... THIS IS. ...DESTINY. lol anyway glad about this game, but we sure need Halo:SA of this year ASAP, Microsoft you listening.
  • Does this mean Audiosurf is next? :D
  • cant believe no one has sed this but it is exactly like candy crush
  • The format numbers of tries and lives of playing the game maybe otherwise the game as a whole is different but yes as I noticed today the objectives are similar,sorry for the hastier comment, I stand corrected.
  • No Xbox = no buy. Oh wait..
  • Lol.. But seriously we do need more Xbox games.
  • Boring game add me @ xbl - Ritabancr7mitra
  • The game everybody forgot came with the Xbox 360. At least during the launch era.
  • That is what we need MS.Games like these make my day!And not those silly games similar to temple run and blah blah..CHeers!Keep them comning and i'll keep them downloading!
  • Much prefer the Zune HD version, not just for the controls but also the freemium features ruin the feel of this game. Such a shame.
  • The free to play model ruins it for me. Feel like I'm playing a quarter muncher at the arcade. This game is designed to take your money.
  • Hi!
    Just one question - how can I mute sounds on my HTC 8x WP8 device? I can mute music, but can't find where to mute sounds.
    Thanks in advance!
    GoGz