Owlboy Hex Machine Boss Guide: Easy Strategy for All Three Phases

Quick Strategy Summary for the Hex Machine

The Owlboy Hex Machine is the red, blob-bodied boss wearing a metal helmet that players encounter in the temple hidden in the jungle region of the game. It is widely considered the first real skill check in Owlboy, and many players hit a wall here because it is not obvious whether you are dealing damage at all. The fight plays out in three distinct phases, and each one has a simple counter:

The tips below are compiled from a full boss fight walkthrough video and a Steam community thread where players broke down each phase step by step.

Phase 1: Shoot the Helmet Off Twice

Phase 1 is the longest part of the fight, but it becomes very manageable once you know the rhythm. Your target is the metal helmet on the boss's head, and you will need to knock it off and finish it twice before the fight moves on.

• Claim the upper corners. The upper-left and upper-right corners of the arena keep you out of reach of the boss's arm sweeps. Use them as your safe home base.
• Watch for the hexes. The boss launches glowing, sparkly hex projectiles that travel across the screen. The trick is to position yourself between the two hexes as they spread, then shift left and right as they move so neither one clips you.
• Dodge the jump. The boss leaps across the arena periodically. When it comes toward you, move left, then right as it passes overhead, all while continuing to fire at the helmet.
• Finish the helmet. Once the helmet falls off, keep firing at the exposed head, and use the spin attack if you get close enough. You will need to repeat this process and shoot the helmet off a second time to destroy it for good.

According to players in a Steam community discussion about the boss, the sequence is to take the hat twice, and the second time it falls, it disappears or is destroyed rather than continuing the fight.

Phase 2: Keep Shooting Through the Hexes

Phase 2 is the shortest and simplest part of the fight. Once the helmet is destroyed, the boss becomes fully vulnerable, and your only job is to unload everything you have.

• Keep shooting continuously even if the hexes start hitting you. Each hit does relatively little damage on its own, though they will slowly drain your health.
• This is a good moment to switch gunners. The walkthrough creator mentions swapping to Alphonse around this point, and Steam players suggest combining Alphonse's heavy fire shot with rapid follow-up shots from the other gun to maximize damage during the boss's jump cycle.
• Steam players estimate you only need to land roughly four to six solid hits during the boss's jumping pattern before phase 3 begins.

If you came through phase 1 without taking too many hits, phase 2 should pose no real threat. It is over before the chip damage adds up.

Phase 3: Overload the Sockets on Both Sides

The final phase is a puzzle more than a shootout. The boss starts jumping around the arena, and the goal is to trick it into hurting itself.

1. Wait near a wall socket and let the boss approach you.
2. Dodge at the right moment so its electrified arm swings into the socket instead of hitting you.
3. The arm connecting with the socket causes the boss to overload and take damage.
4. Repeat the same bait-and-dodge maneuver on the opposite side of the arena.

This phase demands the most timing and movement precision of the whole fight, so stay patient and prioritize the dodge over landing extra hits.

Common Mistakes That Prolong the Fight

The Owlboy Hex Machine confuses players largely because it is unclear what actually deals damage. Avoid these frequent errors:

• Attacking the fallen helmet on the ground. One confused player in the Steam thread kept knocking the hat off and chasing it, only to get electrocuted by it repeatedly. The helmet is destroyed on the second knock-off, so focus your fire on the head instead of the dropped item.
• Loitering in the middle of the arena. The paired hexes converge there, and the boss's arm reaches the center easily.
• Chasing the boss during jumps. Stay disciplined with the left-then-right movement pattern instead of pursuing it for one extra shot.
• Turtling in phase 2. Hesitating to dodge every hex wastes the short window where the boss takes constant damage. Keep firing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Hex Machine located in Owlboy? It is the boss of the temple found in the jungle portion of the game. The walkthrough creator refers to this area as the forgotten jungle, while Steam players commonly call it the Owl Temple.

How many phases does the Hex Machine fight have? Three. Phase 1 focuses on shooting the helmet off twice, phase 2 is pure sustained fire, and phase 3 requires baiting the boss's arm into wall sockets on both sides of the arena.

Should I shoot the helmet or the red body? In phase 1, only the helmet takes damage. Once it has been destroyed on the second knock-off, the boss's whole body becomes the target in phase 2.

Which gunner works best against this boss? Either gunner can finish the fight, but many players swap to Alphonse in phase 2 and chain his heavy fire shot with rapid secondary fire for faster damage.

How do I end the fight in phase 3? Bait the boss into swinging its electrified arm into a wall socket so it overloads itself, then repeat the maneuver on the other side. That is all it takes to defeat the Owlboy Hex Machine.