<p><em>Con-tac-tix</em> is a real thing—it is the same game as <em>Hex</em> released under a different name by a different publisher. This game has no relation to <em>TacTix</em>, except for that they were both created by Piet Hein.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/sU2Ov.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/sU2Ov.jpg" alt="a wooden hex board with the instruction manual, which clearly illustrated the same board and is named con-tac-tix" /></a></p>
<p>This photo is <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/image/1601307/hex" rel="noreferrer">by Felis Concolor at Board Game Geek</a>, uploaded for the board game <em>Hex</em>, who had this to say about it in the description:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>CON-TAC-TIX game board, pouch, instructions and wooden balls. Photo courtesy of eBay seller antique41, who says this edition was made in Denmark in 1968, with rules and history in English and a letter of thanks in Danish.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hasbro also provides on their website <a href="https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Con-Tac-Tix.PDF" rel="noreferrer">a scanned PDF of a nearly identical manual for <em>Con-tac-tix</em></a>, with a copyright date of 1968.</p>

<p>The game was also initially known as <em>Polygon</em>, and in 1952 Parker Brothers released it as <em>Hex</em>, as described by <a href="http://gamescrafters.berkeley.edu/games.php?game=hex" rel="noreferrer">UC Berkeley's GamesCrafters</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_(board_game)" rel="noreferrer">the Wikipedia article for <em>Hex</em></a>. The instruction manual provided by Hasbro acknowledges these two names at the bottom of the third page:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/80nTT.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/80nTT.png" alt="“earlier called Polygon or Hex”" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-17T13:26:42.583Z
2021-10-17T22:33:54.870Z
2021-10-17T22:33:54.870Z
doppelgreener
<p>I recently learned of the simple game <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TacTix" rel="nofollow noreferrer">TacTix</a>, essentially a two-dimensional <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nim" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nim</a> (and thus similar to <em>many</em> other games).</p>
<p>When googling up some examples, I found many pages referring to ConTacTix. Most descriptions of the later describe that seems to be Hex, while some being sold appear to be Hi-Q.</p>
<p>Was ConTacTix a real thing and is there a canonical description of it? Is this an alternative name for some other game perhaps? or just mass confusion?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-17T11:23:34.640Z
I see that there is an application named ConTacTix which is the game HEX: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oliversride.contactix&hl=en&gl=US
Cohensius
<identify-this-game>
TacTix vs. ConTacTix?
Maury Markowitz
# TacTix vs. ConTacTix?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-16)

I recently learned of the simple game [TacTix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TacTix), essentially a two-dimensional [Nim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nim) (and thus similar to *many* other games).

When googling up some examples, I found many pages referring to ConTacTix. Most descriptions of the later describe that seems to be Hex, while some being sold appear to be Hi-Q.

Was ConTacTix a real thing and is there a canonical description of it? Is this an alternative name for some other game perhaps? or just mass confusion?

**Tags:** identify-this-game

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I see that there is an application named ConTacTix which is the game HEX: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oliversride.contactix&hl=en&gl=US  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-10-17. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

*Con-tac-tix* is a real thing—it is the same game as *Hex* released under a different name by a different publisher. This game has no relation to *TacTix*, except for that they were both created by Piet Hein.

[![a wooden hex board with the instruction manual, which clearly illustrated the same board and is named con-tac-tix](https://i.sstatic.net/sU2Ov.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/sU2Ov.jpg)

This photo is [by Felis Concolor at Board Game Geek](https://boardgamegeek.com/image/1601307/hex), uploaded for the board game *Hex*, who had this to say about it in the description:

> CON-TAC-TIX game board, pouch, instructions and wooden balls. Photo courtesy of eBay seller antique41, who says this edition was made in Denmark in 1968, with rules and history in English and a letter of thanks in Danish.

Hasbro also provides on their website [a scanned PDF of a nearly identical manual for *Con-tac-tix*](https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Con-Tac-Tix.PDF), with a copyright date of 1968.

The game was also initially known as *Polygon*, and in 1952 Parker Brothers released it as *Hex*, as described by [UC Berkeley's GamesCrafters](http://gamescrafters.berkeley.edu/games.php?game=hex) and [the Wikipedia article for *Hex*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_(board_game)). The instruction manual provided by Hasbro acknowledges these two names at the bottom of the third page:

[![“earlier called Polygon or Hex”](https://i.sstatic.net/80nTT.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/80nTT.png)


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