Magnetic Hex Board 1.0
These 3D printable boards and accessories are available to download through the Singularity Games Patreon. Join me on Patreon to get access to all of my designs: https://www.patreon.com/SingularityGames
These boards are easy to print, extremely versatile and very portable. If a game is played on a hex board, there is a high likelihood you can play it on this board.
Below you will find 1.5-inch and 1-inch versions of the hex board along with an ever-growing collection accessories allowing for an increasing variety of games to be played.
There are a bunch of designs that are part of the Magnetic Hex Board project. Click on each one below to see more details:
1.5-Inch Hex
This hex board can quickly and easily be reconfigured into any shape and size making it incredibly versatile. It's strong polarity-independent magnetic connection makes it easy to move the board around.
1-Inch Hex
This 1-inch version of the hex board can be used on its own or used as tokens with the 1.5-inch board. This size hex is particularly great for games with very large boards.
Magnetic Pawns
The magnetic pawns have a cavity that allow a magnet to be placed during printing so that the pawns stick to the tiles. Additionally, the top of the pawn fits into the gap at the corner of the hexes.
Magnetic Stones
These small hexagonal stones have a cavity in the inside that allows for magnets to be placed while printing. This makes it so the stones can snap into place on the board.
The Hex Assembler
This over-engineered device helps add magnets to the hexes and snap the two halves together.
The Hex Flipper and Remover
The tool-of-tools, the mightiest of machines, the thing that keeps hexes up at night: The Hex Flipper and Remover. If you find you need a little assistance popping out a hex surrounded by other hexes, just print this tool and get flipping.
Hive Set
This specialized version of the 1-inch magnetic hex tile has icons compatible with Hive. The tiles are designed to print in two colors using a standard single-nozzle 3D printer.
Dungeon Tiles
These work in progress accessories for the 1.5-inch magnetic Hex tiles let the board be used for dungeon crawlers and RPGs.
Design Notes:
I first thought about updating the OpenLock hex board in January of 2022. The design for the original openlock hex board, unsurprisingly, was based around the fact that I had already designed a magnetic openlock clip. While there is a lot to like about the original, in the back of my head I was wondering what the design could have been, had I made it from the ground up. What’s the best version of a magnetic hex board I could design?
As is normal for me, I thought, "This should be a quick and easy project." And then BAM! it took a year. Even working on this off and on in between other projects, I didn't think it would take this long to get the design to where I would be happy with it. That said I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. I should have known this would have been a more ambitious undertaking given all the features I had in mind for the board.
Features of the Magnetic Hex Tiles:
Easy to print: Each Hex is made up of two pieces that snap together. This allows the top and bottom of the hexes to be printed in different colors and makes the tiles easy to print as they don't require supports.
Strong polarity-independent magnetic connections: The tiles use 3mm ball magnets that can rotate freely making the tiles polarity-independent. No need to worry about aligning the tiles, they will just snap together.
Flippable and removable: Gaps in the corners of the tiles allow them to be flipped or removed easily, even when surrounded by other tiles.
Magnetic pawns: A magnet in the center of each tile allows for pawns and other accessories to magnetically snap on to the tile.
1.5-Inch Hex
This hex board can quickly and easily be reconfigured into any shape and size making it incredibly versatile. It's strong polarity-independent magnetic connection makes it easy to move the board around.
There is a space in the center of each hex that allows for the placement of a magnet. This lets other hexes stand up on their edge and allows for pawns and other tokens to magnetically connect to the center of the tile.
The hexes are magnetically stackable. The magnets sit close enough to the top of the hex that the tiles can be stacked.
The stackability of the hexes makes storage easier and allows for some cool game play possibilities.
For those who prefer a more traditional hex, there is also the option of one without the corner holes (shown on the right) although it does lack a few of the features of the Singularity Magnetic Hex (shown on the left).
1-Inch Hex
This 1-inch version of the hex board can be used on its own or used as tokens with the 1.5-inch board. This size hex is particularly great for games with very large boards.
The magnetic stones on the 1-inch hex board.
The corner gaps of the 1-inch hex board match those of the 1.5-inch board allowing the magnetic pawns to work with both.
A 1-inch hex sitting on top of a 1.5-inch hex
For those who prefer a more traditional hex, there is also the option of one without the corner holes (shown on the right) although it does lack a few of the features of the Singularity Magnetic Hex (shown on the left).
Magnetic Pawn
These pawns are designed to compliment the hex boards both in aesthetics and functionality. They have a space for a magnet so that they can connect to the hexes and the tops of the pawns slot into the holes formed at the corners of the hexes.
There is a cavity that allows for a magnet to be placed during printing letting the pawns to stick to the hexes.
A pawn securely attached to a tile.
The top of the pawns are designed to fit into the corners of the hexes.
Pawns on the 1-inch hex board.
Magnetic Stones
There are a ton of games that consist of just a hex board and stones. These magnetic stones have a cavity for a magnet to be placed that lets them stick to the center of both the hex tiles.
The stones have a cavity that allows for a magnet to be placed during printing letting the stones stick to the hexes.
The stones connecting the 1-inch hex board.
The stones on the 1.5-inch hexes
The stones alongside the other magnetic hex board components and accessories.
Dungeon Tiles, Walls, and Doors
These work in progress accessories for the 1.5-inch magnetic Hex tiles let the board be used for dungeon crawlers and RPGs.
Click Here for the Print Guide for the Dungeon Walls and Doors
Magnetic Hive Set
This specialized version of the 1-inch magnetic hex tile has icons compatible with Hive. The tiles are designed to print in two colors using a standard single-nozzle 3D printer.
The inlays printed before swapping the filament and printing the hexes on top.
The magnetic Hive set is designed to print in two colors using a standard single-nozzle 3D printer.
A complete set of magnetic Hive pieces are super portable.
Thanks to the magnets, the pieces automatically snap together and align with each other.
The Hex Assembler
This over-engineered device helps add magnets to the hexes and snap the two halves together. While its possible to add the magnets without this tool, the Hex Assembler makes the process easier and requires less dexterity.
There is a version for both the 1-inch and 1.5-inch hexes. Note: the Hex Assembler is only compatible with Singularity Hexes (with the corner cutouts), not the traditional hexes.
Check out the adjacent video to see it in action.
Each Hex Assembler prints in three separate pieces: the plate, the plunger, and the holder.
The 1.5inch Hex Assembler.
The 1-inch Hex Assembler.
Magnets embedded in the Hex Assembler Plunger help hold the magnets in place when putting the hexes together.