Skip to Honeycomb Game Instructions
My favorite thing about Sedis isn’t that it is the fourth generic gaming device, its mathematical origin, that it is meant to be passed down to generations or that you can play multiple games with it.

My favorite thing about Sedis is quite simple: its hexagonal shape. When Neal first showed me the Sedis tile that he carries around in his pocket (ask him if he has it on him if you see him) – that is what piqued my interest. Why?

Sure, there are many games that use hexagons, so I knew it wasn’t unique. Hexagons are all around us naturally, in soap bubbles, in the eyes of a fly and of course, honeycomb. I LOVE honeycomb – I like it in design and I particularly like to eat it with soft-ripened cheese.

I’m a beekeeper, so I marvel at honeycomb, which Charles Darwin called “absolutely perfect in economizing labor and wax.” Not only do the six sides make sense mathematically, but it’s also a matter of economics -for the bees and for Nefer Games! When we laser cut the natural hardwood (all done here in Houston at post-studio projects), we can fit the maximum number of tiles on a sheet of wood and also use minimal cuts. Plus, keeping in line with our mission of creating beautiful tools of play, both honeycomb and Sedis tiles are so pretty!

Honeycomb, also made in Houston from *my bees* – photo credit: TVZ Design

With Sedis, we urge new users to “make their own rules.” When one approaches Sedis for the first time, there is one game that is “created” time and time again. It is one of the simplest of games and great for both new users and children. When Neal was going through several names for this game, I suggested Honeycomb, and much like nectar, pollen and beeswax, it stuck.

How to Play Honeycomb with Sedis

Honeycomb

The Original Sedis Game

Recommended # of Players: 1 to 6 players
Recommended Materials: Pen and paper to keep score
Estimated Time: 30 minutes to an hour
Difficulty Level: •◦◦◦◦
Objective: Score the most points.

Setup: 

1. Place all 60 tiles face down and shuffle them.
2. The person with the longest hair goes first.
3. That player takes a tile, turns it face up, and places it on a flat surface.
4. The player to their right draws a face-down tile, turns it face up and connects one full side of that tile to any other full side of the previously placed tile.
5.  If there are more than two players, continue set-up clockwise: the player to the left of each previous player selects a face-down tile, turns it face up and connects it to at least one previously placed tile so that the sides fully touch. The third player can choose to place their tile touching one or both of the previously placed tiles.

From here on out, each placed tile may touch one or more previously placed tiles.

Setups may vary:

                  6.  Each player draws five tiles at random to form a hand.

Once all players have added a single tile, and drawn their hands, the game begins.

Play:

1. Players take turns clockwise. Each player takes a tile from their hand and connects one full side to at least one other full side of any previously placed tile.
2. Each placed tile can touch one or more tiles. Players receive a point for every pip that aligns between the side(s) of the tile they place and the side(s) of the tiles adjacent to it.
   

   This tile placement matches 3 pips and therefore would be worth 3 points.

3. Players must maintain five tiles in their hand until there are not enough tiles to do so; after a player makes a move, they draw another upside down tile and add it to their hand. 
4. Players continue taking turns until all tiles have been used. After all face down tiles have been played, continue playing until there are no tiles left in anyone’s hands.
   
5. The player with the most points wins.

Honeycomb the Sedis game is a lot like the honeycomb bees make: beautiful in its simplicity. Sign up to be notified of its launch!

Playing Honeycomb with Sedis