What Hexarchy is
Hexarchy is a turn-based historical 4X game run through cards. You build cities, improve land, gather resources, research technologies and adopt civics, and each of those choices comes from the deck you assemble as you play. Games are built to be short, lasting less than an hour, so a full session fits into an evening rather than swallowing a weekend. The map is a hex grid, and terrain matters: you can use it to outmaneuver opponents, capture key resources, cut supply lines and pillage improvements. There are 13 unique civilizations, each with its own unit, ability and bonuses, plus multiple map types and game modes to vary the setup.
Playing together
Hexarchy has online PvP and online co-op. In competitive play you can climb the ladder in ranked matches or set up a custom game to take on your friends directly. If you would rather not fight each other, cooperative mode lets your group team up against one or more AI teams. Beyond playing with your own group, there is a Weekly Hegemon Challenge where everyone who picked the same civilization that week cooperates, running randomly generated single-player campaigns to make that civilization the Global Hegemon. Daily and weekly challenges give shorter and longer runs with a global leaderboard to check your placement against.
Before you start
Resource management is the core loop: improvements on your land produce resources, and you spend them on buildings, wonders and armies, or sell them for gold on the dynamic global market. Wonders cost a lot but give bonuses that can change the shape of a game. Combat is optional but available, and unit promotions let you customize and upgrade your forces. The game is designed to be easy to pick up whether you know deckbuilding, 4X games or neither, so expect a short learning period before the depth shows up. Pick a civilization that suits how you want to play, since each one's unique unit, ability and bonuses push you toward a different style.