John Wick Hex

John Wick Hex is a unique, action-oriented strategy game released in 2019, developed by Mike Bithell Games in collaboration with the creators of the John Wick film franchise.¹ It successfully translates the cinematic, gun-fu choreography of the movies into a compelling, gridless tactical experience.² The game puts the player directly in the shoes of the legendary assassin, John Wick, during an untold mission to rescue Winston and Charon from a new antagonist known only as Hex.

Time is the Central Mechanic

The game's most distinguishing feature is its innovative "timeline strategy" mechanic. While it appears to be played in real-time, the action is actually dictated by a timeline at the top of the screen:⁴

• Action Cost: Every action John takes—moving, shooting, reloading, throwing his gun, or performing a takedown—costs a specific amount of time.⁵

• Opponent Actions: Enemy actions are also represented on the timeline.

• Planning and Execution: The player essentially pauses the action, queues up a sequence of moves, and then watches them play out against the enemies' queued actions. This requires the player to constantly calculate which action will resolve favorably and how to minimize the time enemies have to respond. For example, shooting a near target might take $0.5$ seconds, while an enemy melee attack might take $0.7$ seconds. The player must choose the action that completes first to interrupt the enemy.

This system turns every encounter into a fast-paced, violent chess match, where timing and efficiency are paramount to survival.

Translating Gun-Fu to Strategy

The game nails the John Wick aesthetic by focusing on smooth, seamless, and lethal choreography. The goal isn't just to win, but to be stylish and efficient while doing so.

• The Pistol vs. Melee Dilemma: A core tactical choice revolves around gun handling. Shooting is fast but requires precious time to reload. Melee takedowns are often faster and stagger enemies, but put John in closer danger. Throwing a discarded weapon to temporarily stun an enemy often provides the fraction of a second needed to close the gap or reload.

• Focus Points: John utilizes "Focus," a resource used to perform precision actions like dodging, rolling, and executing Hexcodes (specific high-cost takedowns).⁷ Managing Focus is as critical as managing health and ammo.

• Replay Value: After clearing a level, the game presents a replay of the player's run in real-time, completely uninterrupted, transforming the turn-based decisions into a beautifully choreographed action scene reminiscent of the movies.

John Wick Hex is a successful and clever blend of strategy and action, making the player think like the Baba Yaga himself—constantly assessing the environment, anticipating enemy moves, and executing the most efficient, deadly sequence possible.