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Behext is a combat deck-building game where players take on the roles of Battlemages, attempting to magically outmaneuver their opponents. The spells you collect act as both currency and defense, forcing you to make strategic sacrifices to use cast curses and counter-curses. The game is highly interactive and offers a quirky, if occasionally tricky, twist on traditional deck-building.
Gameplay
In Behext, a minimum of three players take on the roles of spellcasters in a duel to outlast their opponents. Each player is given their own starting deck of ten cards, some of which are unique to their individual character and emphasize a certain play style. The game begins with a player targeting another mage with a hex token, marking them as “the intended”. The intended player then has the opportunity to purchase a card, known as conjuring, before playing a card that allows them to pass the hex on to another player. Gameplay then proceeds with each player passing the token to any other player using the cards in their hand. Once a player fails to pass the hex along it detonates, costing them willpower which translates to victory points at the end of the game. After several rounds—four in the beginner's game and more in the advanced version—players count their points based on willpower and the value of their purchased cards. The player with the most points wins.
Magical Hot Potato
At its core, Behext boils down to a magical game of hot potato. Each turn, you want to avoid being the mage left holding the hex. However, this summary oversimplifies Behext. During your turn, dozens of cards can significantly change gameplay. Basic cards allow you to pass the hex, saving you that turn. In contrast, more complex cards let you draw additional cards from your deck, enhance the hex or increase card costs for other players. Some cards can be played instantly to boost your willpower when you hex another player, while others offer advantages when you're hexed, such as preventing the hex from being passed back to you. This variety makes Behext both enjoyable and challenging, choosing which cards to conjure and when to play them requires a high level of strategic thinking. The downside is that this variety can be overwhelming for new players. In our first game, everyone focused on purchasing cards to pass the hex, neglecting cards that could damage other players. As we played more we realized that a balanced strategy is crucial.
Be ruthless or be hexed
Once you overcome the initial learning curve, Behext offers a lot. Unlike some games, your chosen character is relevant to gameplay, the deck you start with contains three unique cards that dictate your strategy. Choosing to play a solely defensive game isn't effective. As such, randomly selecting characters was a hindrance, at least in our initial game. Some of the characters benefit from gaining willpower points, while others focus on attacking and depriving opponents of cards. Understanding these play styles is a key part of the game, one I think we underestimated.
Regardless of strategy, there is a level of aggression inherent to the gameplay. The goal of each turn is to avoid being hexed and pass it on, as such you have no choice but to try and inflict damage on other players. For some people this combative approach to gameplay may be too aggressive. Personally I love a game where I can try and ruin someone's plans or force them into reacting. In contrast, my wife prefers games where she can adopt a more passive strategy. During our games, even with suitable characters, a passive strategy proved difficult; something to note for anyone who prefers avoidance over direct conflict.
Final thoughts
Behext offers an interesting and intricate magical combat system, one that aims to balance strategic thinking, careful planning and aggressive combat. I love the fact the game comes with four additional boxes, called circles of magic, that can be added as you become more confident. While this does increase replayability it also highlight the game's complexity, something I struggled with initially. I think that if you’re willing to invest time and iron out some of the complexities and quirks Behext has great potential. At the very least, it leaves me wanting to return and explore what else it has to offer. Overall, my hope is that as I keep playing it will become a game I learn to love and depending on what happens maybe I’ll give it a higher score in the future.
