Smart Zone Games Hive- A Game Crawling With Possibilities, (5525890)

This may be the best designed game I have ever seen. I mean, like the best table top game since chess. It's a little more laid back than chess and quicker, both of which are nice from an enjoyment point of view. And pieces are never taken out of the game, so it doesn't simplify as the game progresses. Further, defense is very difficult, which means that the games don't go on and on for too long. Wonderful ideas and execution. I don't consider myself real skilled at it but I'm always happy to play with my wife or one of my kids. It's simple enough for kids and interesting enough for anyone. The pieces are also very well designed and constructed. Very robust and satisfying to play with. Nice designs and colors. Overall this game is quite an accomplishment. Ok, so where's the downside? Well, if you have read any reviews you know that the makers also sell a "carbon" version, which is black and white. It's a little cheaper than this version but it comes with two expansions (which are like $10 each). So it's a lot cheaper. I thought about getting that one but decided I wanted color in my game. After playing with the base set, I was convinced that I had made the right choice. Worth spending some extra for a set with color. However, the color expansions are not as nice as the set. In particular, the mosquito is dark grey, which is very hard to see and unsightly on the black tile. And the white tiles for both the mosquito and pillbug are a different color than the main set: they are greener and a little darker. It doesn't affect gameplay but it's an eyesore. Given the cost of these expansions it's silly that they can't color match. If I had bought the carbon edition two expansions would be included and certainly match and I bet the pillbug would match too. I mean, at the end of the day we are going for aesthetics. You miss some color with the carbon, but at least everything matches. That's my only issue with this set. If you are only sticking with the base set, I'd say color is better.

Overview: Hive is a two-player abstract strategy game centered around the placing and manipulation through movement of hexagonal shaped tiles representing various insects. Like the pieces in Chess, each insect tile has specific rules that govern when and where it can move. The object of the game is to be the first player to manipulate the opposing player's Queen Bee tile in such a manner that it is surrounded on all six of its sides by other insects. Setup Time Required: There is almost zero setup time required to play outside of first reading the brief rules foldout for the first time. Hive does not have a game-board in the traditional sense of the word, nor does it have cards or chits to worry about. The insect tiles are the game: the tiles function individually as the playing pieces, and collectively as the board. The game can begin just as soon as the tiles are removed from the box or bag and distributed to each player. Components: Hive - The Original includes 22 insect tiles (11 for each player) and a nylon-zippered case for those that want to game on the go. The tiles are quite chunky in size and are made out of Bakelite. They have a very nice, sturdy, feel to them. The insect illustrations are etched into each tile and are painted. Extended use may lead to some chipping of the paint. Target Audience: Hive is relatively cheap and it is portable, so anyone looking for either a quick strategic game or a game they can take with them on their travels may be interested in giving this game a shot. Hive should also be considered as a gateway game before introducing someone to the similar, but more complex, game of Chess. If you found this review helpful, please let me know below.

Hive struck me like a fresh new concept in tabletop gaming when I first ran into it at the manufacturer's own website. There, you could play the game against a robot that they said wasn't all that good a player. He taught me so much, beating me 15 consecutive times before I finally beat him. Hive has tiles with special movement rules, like chess, but there is no "board". The first tile played in the game initiates "The Hive", and all subsequent play takes place on, or adjacent to, The Hive. The tiles depict bugs, and both players get a queen bee, 2 spiders, 2 beetles, 3 grasshoppers, and 3 ants. An expansion set gives each player a mosquito too. Players take turns adding tiles to the hive. When adding a tile, it must touch already-laid tiles of your color and no tiles of the other color (except for player #2's first tile). During the first 4 moves, both players must add their queen bee to the hive. Once a player's queen bee is played, they may elect to move a tile rather than play a new one. Moving tiles are allowed to land next to the other color in a way that newly played tiles cannot. This decision about bringing a new piece into play or working with the pieces already in play is one small example of the strategy at play here. The object is to completely surround the opponent's queen bee. Doesn't have to be all your tiles, but if she is surrounded you win. Don't let it happen to your queen bee! The game play is strongly oriented towards "1) Don't lose, 2) Win, if you can" That was the lesson of my first 10 games against the robot at the Hive site. Ants can move anywhere on the outer perimeter of the hive - any distance. Spiders can do the same thing, but they must move exactly 3 hexes, no more, no less. Grasshoppers leap over the hive along hex lines to the first vacant space. Beetles can only move one hex in any direction, but they can crawl up onto the hive itself and move around on it. The piece they are sitting on is immobilized until they leave. The optional mosquito can move like any tile of either color that it is touching at the beginning of it's turn. Enough about the game - it's a brilliant invention in game-play with really thought-provoking strategy. Its not a quick learn-and-play game. That said, it is a delicious long-term learn-and-play game - lots of "ah ha!" as I witness my own improvement as a player. This product tho - WOW! These tiles are bigger than I expected - you can squint one like a monocle - and substantial like well-made dominoes, finger-tall. The hexes are white and black, each type of bug is painted into the recessed image in it's own color. The green-on-black grasshopper contrasted with the green-on-white grasshopper is very cool - these pieces are lovely.

Estaba indecisa entre este formato o el Pocket. La verdad que estoy muy contenta con el juego, llegó todo en perfecto estado. Lo que más me ha gustado es que te viene con un estuche que entiendo que o bien es para guardarlo y poder tirar la caja, o bien para llevarlo de viaje. Hay que tener en cuenta que las instrucciones no vienen es español, pero en internet se pueden encontrar fácilmente.

Es mag schon einige Rezensionen zu diesem Spiel geben, aber bei Hive bin ich sehr verführt, den bestehenden Bewertungen auch noch meine Beschreibung dieses 2-Personen Spiels hinzuzufügen. Obwohl der Vergleich als überstrapaziert gilt, ist Hive für mich ein Spiel wie Schach. Man hat fünf unterschiedliche Insekten-Spielfiguren, die bestimmte Züge ausführen können und verfolgt das Ziel die gegnerische Biene "matt" zu setzen. Allerdings wird bei Hive ein Spielstein nicht geschlagen, sondern man kann Figuren lediglich festsetzen bzw. die gegnerische Biene versuchen einzukreisen. Gelingt letzteres hat man gewonnen. Wie beim Schach ist jedes Spiel komplett anders, jeder Zug erfordert eine Planung wie man mit seinen Figuren an den Gegner herankommen kann und Angriffe auf die eigene Bienenkönigin abwehrt. Das Spiel ist dabei unwahrscheinlich herausfordernd. Allerdings hat Hive auch in den Bereichen Qualitäten, die Schach bei Vielen unattraktiv macht. Es gibt nur 5 Spielfiguren deren Züge sehr leicht zu erlernen sind und das selbst für Kinder. Eine Partie dauert in der Regel nur etwa 20 Minuten, nur bei sehr erfahrenen Hive-Spieler kann es auch schonmal länger dauern. Man muss gegenüber Schach deutlich weniger Figuren im Blick halten und dennoch sind Komplexität und Möglichkeiten ebenfalls unwahrscheinlich hoch. Genial ist zudem, dass Hive anders als Schach kein Spielbrett benötigt, da sich die Figuren immer am namensgebenden "Schwarm" (engl. Hive) bewegen. Der meines Erachtens einzige Nachteil von Hive ist ebenfalls ähnlich zu Schach. Bei geübten Spielern hat derjenige der angefängt einen leichten aber manchmal entscheidenden Vorteil. Hive ist ein phantastisches 2-Personen Spiel, dessen Tiefgründigkeit und Kurzweil mich immer wieder begeistert. Es gibt auch eine Erweiterung mit zwei "Moskito-Figuren", die laut anderen Rezensionen sehr empfehlenswert sein soll aber von Amazon leider nicht geführt wird. Natürlich muss man für Hive strategische Spiele mögen. Wer eher seichte und glücksabhängige Spiele wie das gute alte "Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht" mag, für den könnte Hive zu anstrengend sein. Für alle anderen ist der Kauf es unbedingt wert.

By girlfriend normally gets sick of board games because I keep beating her at them. Not so with Hive! It's completely deterministic, all down to skill, and she is far better than me at it. Though obviously my pride is in tatters I do still admire the game greatly for being very accessible to anyone - especially with its big clunky pieces - and for really surprising with its depth of play. Lots of emergent tactics can come about, and a game that seems a foregone conclusion can quickly turn around with a clever move. Games are quick, over in about 10 minutes, and really satisfying with their density of decision making. Every action feels like it matters, and a move made at the start of the game can become a significant factor later on. I highly recommend this game. One of the best 2-player games I've ever played, and easy to pick up no matter how experienced you are.

A perfect game for the whole family. Simple but so much potential for strategy. Great for a travel game.

Fun and fast paced. I’d like to get the add on piece to add more complexity but it is a great game as is.