Why Chess Isn’t on a Hex Grid

Square grids are perhaps the most iconic type of board in board games, due to classics like chess. While hex grids are a more recent innovation, the success of Catan has made them equally well known. The question is when to use one versus the other. Square grids may be easier to draw by hand, but this alone is not a good reason to prefer them. The choice boils down to four factors: aesthetics, learnability, tactical depth, and alignment. Choosing should be deliberate from the start of a project, as rebalancing halfway through is tedious. Geometry isn't just about a game's look; it has concrete effects on every aspect of the experience.

Aesthetically, hex and square grids work best for different types of games. Hex grids have a more natural appearance because their wider angles suggest curves, while the right angles of square grids create an artificial look. If you are making a game about building a city, a square grid might better represent the city blocks, while a game about exploring the world may do better with hexagonal land regions.

When teaching a game, hex grids avoid the ambiguity that diagonal adjacencies introduce. On a square grid, squares touch diagonally at their corners, and every game must specify whether this counts as adjacent or not. But hex grids eliminate this edge case, reducing the need for clarification. On the other hand, players unfamiliar with modern games may not have encountered a hex grid before, which could create additional friction. If you are designing for a non-gaming audience, this may be one reason to use squares.

Square grids have one major advantage over hex grids for creating tactical depth: the distinction between orthogonal and diagonal directions. On a hex grid, all directions are symmetric, but on a square grid, there is a built-in difference you can leverage. In games like chess, some pieces can only move orthogonally while others can move diagonally. In Duelyst 2, pieces can only move orthogonally but can attack diagonally, creating richer positioning considerations. Treating both directions the same way throws away a built-in source of asymmetry.

In physical tile placement games, squares have a big advantage over hexes in that it is easier to realign them if they shift. Because they form smooth rows and columns, you can use a straightedge to push them all together to line them up. Hexes form jagged edges between rows, which causes attempts to shift many at once to push other hexes out of grid alignment. Preprinted hex grids are great, but if you are building them over the course of the game, squares are much better at staying aligned.

Geometry is not arbitrary; it encodes assumptions into the play area. Square and hex grids are not the only options, but they are two very good options. Make sure the geometry of your game reinforces your vision.