Hive is a board game with a difference. There is no board! The pieces are added to the playing area thus creating the board. As more and more pieces are added the game becomes a fight to see who can be the first to capture (surround) the opposing Queen Bee.
Very Positive
309 Steam reviews
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | — | — | Y |
| Polish | — | — | Y |
| Spanish (Spain) | — | — | Y |
Decent game
Hive, the game itself, is fun and well thought out. The software is good too but I've only been using offline mode because I'm a beginner.
So I am pretty ass at this game admittedly however it is extremely enjoyable and has a unique and fast paced strategy about it.
Hive is a great, quick and fun "board game" without a board. The strategy is surprisingly deep for the simple premise and it's a lot of fun.
This is a great adaptation of the the tile game as well, that works flawlessly and is easy to pick up. There's no tutorial but the rules are there to read. The AI is okay, but isn't hard enough at the high levels (on the plus side, that makes the achievement for the hardest AI pretty easy, I guess?).
Online play works but is a little wonky - every time I made a game, I had to exit and rejoin it for it to work. But it did work.
It's a great port of a great board-less "board game". The games are quick, the rules simple, and the game just works.
The AI is okay, but not hard enough at the high levels. The online multiplayer still works but you have to exit and rejoin at the start of the game to make it work, which is mildly annoying but at least the multiplayer still works.
Fun game but not optimized for computer playing
Hive on Steam is a brilliant example of how absolute simplicity can coexist with deep, demanding strategy, capturing the essence of the classic tabletop game while enhancing it through thoughtful digital design, because at its core the rules are elegant and easy to grasp yet every move carries long-term consequences that reward foresight, positional awareness, and creative tactics, and this balance shines even brighter online where the clean interface makes the hex-based movement of each insect immediately readable while still preserving the tension and precision that Hive is known for; the individual game pieces are beautifully represented, each bug clearly animated with subtle but satisfying motion that reinforces its unique behavior, from the purposeful crawl of the Queen Bee to the nimble hops of the Grasshopper and the sneaky slides of the Spider, and these animations, while not flashy, add a surprising level of immersion that makes the digital board feel alive without distracting from the cerebral focus of play; compared to the tabletop version, the Steam adaptation removes setup friction, rule disputes, and physical constraints while preserving the exact strategic depth, automatically enforcing legal moves and edge cases that newer players might overlook in real life, which makes learning smoother without diluting mastery, and at the same time veteran players will appreciate how the online version accelerates high-level play by letting them focus entirely on tactics rather than bookkeeping; the online contests and matchmaking elevate Hive even further, transforming what is often a quiet, face-to-face duel on a table into a global battleground where strategies evolve rapidly, openings are tested relentlessly, and every match feels like a meaningful mental challenge against real opponents rather than passive AI; immersion is strengthened by the minimalistic sound design and polished presentation, which mirror the physical tactility of the tabletop tiles while benefiting from digital clarity, and the ability to expand the game by purchasing additional bug expansions as DLC mirrors the real-world experience of buying extra Hive pieces, making the Steam version feel authentic rather than monetized, since acquiring new insects expands strategic possibilities just as it does physically and feels like a natural extension of the base game rather than an artificial add-on; overall, Hive on Steam is a masterclass in respectful adaptation, proving that a timeless tabletop design can thrive in digital form by preserving its strategic soul, enhancing accessibility, and offering competitive online play that keeps the experience endlessly engaging.
I like the game.
Could be better implemented. Weak AI.
Rating after 3 hours of game play: 9/10. I tend not to enjoy playing tabletop games in digital format, but this one is an exception. It's a faithful recreation of the game, all the expansion bugs are available, and the simple AI is easily beatable while even the mid-range AI provides quite a tough challenge. This is a great way to play Hive when you don't have an opponent to play face-to-face with.
boring
Hive is fantastic and this Steam version is great for beginners or intermediates that want a nice interface and fast games with a variable AI up to intermediate level. I just got to 50-21 record against the top AI and I consider myself around intermediate, heading to advanced level in the game. I have really enjoyed my time with this computer, but I think I am just about ready to move on to human players or stronger AI on Hivegame.com.
The other thing to mention is that this platform does not really have an online community. The best is too use Hivegame.com or Boardgamearena.com if you want to play a good variety of human players and have the option to review your games afterward.
Hive is a glorious game that I have been playing since it launched over 20 years ago. If you want to really fall into love with this amazing game, Steam is a great place to start, but also I would highly recommend buying a set and playing with a friend in real life. You can take it anywhere and it is a blast! I played 100+ games last summer with my girlfriend in cafes around the city. It is an amazing game and you will love it, but Steam is just one of the early stages, but well worth it in my opinion. There are a couple great books on the topic ("The Canon of Hive: Groundwork" or "Play Hive Like a Champion"), as well as two free great online platforms, Hivegame.com or Boardgamearena.com.
Enjoy the swarm!!!
桌游本身非常好，电子化也很方便。
但开发者完全摆了，目前 steam 上这作 (还有已下架的安卓移植) 的情况是：
[list]
[*]pvp online 已关服，只能本地 pass and play
[*]许多小 bug，pve windows 基本能正常游玩，其他平台偶尔闪退
[*]大量 联机 / dlc 限定成就，如今已没可能完成
[/list]
因此不推荐购买，对桌游本身感兴趣可以转 bga / 实体 体验，2025/7 bga 日常有数百桌在线游戏。
steam 版仅存的价值，是教程比 bga 稍好，以及方便新手循序渐进的人机对战，显然不值这个价格。
This game is amazing. You will not regret the purchase. I enjoy it more than chess now!
Хорошая игра на логику и контроль. Напоминает шахматы в плане того, что каждый ход критически важен, начиная с самого первого. Нужно постоянно предугадывать действия соперника и стараться вести его в коридоре нужных тебе решений.
К игре обязательны все три дополнения.
Multiplayer network not working as of 11/12/24.
Now this is completely useless other than to play vs the cold ai. Go get the physical game pieces instead.
totally recommend if you are a fan of the board game and want to practice against AI.
love better than chess
There are two fundamental problems which make the Android app a better choice. First, there is no 2D view, the limited "3D" view makes it hard to see your position. Second, you cannot undo a move, which is super annoying when you make a mistake.
Ну так-то прикольно, но я больше по шутерам от первого лица.
Минус не ставлю, потому что есть ценители жанра настолок
+Очень годная мини-игра на логическое мышление.
-Не работает онлайн. Почему нельзя было просто купить сервера стим?! Вместо этого используют какое-то облако, которое не работает и, судя по комментариям, уже 4 года...
-Remote Play Together так же отсутствует.
В таком случае какой смысл покупать виртуальную игру, если можно взять настолку...
Благо хоть режим на двух игроков еще работает (сидеть за одним компьютером)
注意！你已經被包圍了
放下武器，交出女王！
Okay. As a game, Hive is fun. It's a really cool take on the whole ancient genre of tile placement games.
As a video game? I think this is actually kinda awful.
To start, putting the Pillbug, Ladybug and Mosquito as paid DLC is utterly asinine. I can't believe they did that. Like, not even in my wildest dreams...
Once you get that bad taste in your mouth, the quality of the product just turns all the more sour. Game looks like it was created in Macromedia Director in 1997. An odd and annoying soundtrack... it's just... bad.
If you're genuinely going to spend $25 on Hive, just go ahead and buy the boxed copy. I don't know if that's the point they're trying to make... like this was somehow a process to intentionally make a bad video game version or what.
Favourite board game I have.
A fun strategy/tile game that is also a kind of puzzle.
Ich bin halt einfach froh über jede Version, die ich von Hive finde.....ich liebe das Spiel einfach.....
Amo a versão física do jogo, ai peguei essa aqui.
The graphics are horrendous. The UI is clumsy. But the game itself is so good that all else can be forgiven. Until there's a decent version for ios, this is as good as it gets.
let me make this clear. Hive is a Terrific abstract board game. If you see IRL, get it a try. its great fun. This version of Hive however is a sad mess. The UI is simply too buggy to function properly. OH, the Irony!!
FUN GAME
poorly made port of a great game
multiplayer doesn't seem to work properly
A.I. is below average
play the mobile version instead - it is bad but at least it is free
Great board game, not a great port.
Multiplayer doesn't work, and the feel of the play is terrible compared to the joy of placing the beautifully designed tiles in the original physical version. If you really want to train against an AI, then it's alright - but since the servers are dead, and multiplayer is limited to local turn-by-turn play, you might as well spend your money on the physical version of the game (full-size or pocket edition) and be able to take it more places with you too!
If you like chess, you'll probably like this. The concepts are very similar. The actual board game is good, too.
The muliplayer is dead, there are not gamers. The game often crashes when I try to go to multiplayer menu. Buy it if you just want to play versus AI. There is better site on internet to play this game with gamers. It has not so nice graphics, but it works and there are hundreds of gamers (I can't write its name, because it would be advertising and Steam would delete this post)
Playing online has been imposible due to a bug (ironic, for a bug game)
its okay but i hate the fact that online is broken, i got gifted this game so i could play it with my friends only to find out that i cant play online, dont make a pack to "play with your friends online" if online does not work dont buy the pack unless you are not going to play with your friends online -_- 2/10
The boardgame itself is great, but the AI, even on highest level, is really clunky and lacks tactics commonly used by real human players and that makes it difficult for the AI to counter any attack.
Hooolllllyyy cow. This game would not run to save its life. So many technical issues with blueline cloud and crashing. Do notttttttttttttttttt buy this game.
DON"T USE 3D IN BOARD GAMES!
It's atrocious-looking. We're not playing a 3D-shooter, this is a board game. At the very least they should have included an option to display the board flat. As it is, it is not only ugly but also distracting. Look at the Android port of the game to see how it should have been made.
Chess has finally met its match. Fantastic thinking game. It would be nice if they made some minor enhancements like how many pieces left at end of game, replay, time limit.
UPDATE: 1/7/2023
Do not buy.
This FANTASTIC game is not playable online.
Dev support refuses to address the online playing issue where you get kicked off after every move.
Email bounce back from dev web site.
Hopefully someone else will take over.
Do not buy if you want to play with someone else.. It works fine solo
It would be nice if there were a function where the computer could suggest best moves for either side
Full of bugs (no pun intended)
Hive is excellent but this game is almost unplayable as it's so buggy and slow to respond to your commands.
I lost my first match as my game piece ended up in the wrong place on the board due to the lag.
I've requested a refund.
Easy to learn, hard to master?
Шахматы и насекомые мои любимые увлечения. Улей классная игра, но онлайн хромает.
Отличная пошаговая игра
Best boardgame of all time. Simple rules that lead to incredibly deep gameplay.
It's great for quick sessions. If you enjoy 'easy to learn, difficult to master' games then Hive will be right up your alley :-)
I only play the AI so can't comment on multiplayer but it's challenging enough and I'm constantly learning new strategies and traps to use next time.
Very solid adaptation of the physical game. thumbs up
whens the Bird and Frog DLC?
Good game
Like chess this game makes you think. The CPU is challenging and puts up a good fight on the harder difficulties. I'd say if you enjoyed chess give this a spin.
Competitive bug puzzles
La IA no tiene absolutamente niguna dificultad. He ganado las dos únicas partidas que he jugado, la segunda de ellas con la dificultad al máximo. La IA no hace ningún movimiento para impedir que ganes.
Me gustaría volver a intentarlo más adelante si mejoran la IA, ya que es uno de mis juegos favoritos.
Hive is a strategy game, where you need to control different bugs to surround the enemy player's queen in any way.
I got this game from one of my friend as a gift. Thank you!
I really like how the game look. You can choose different tiles which has different art styles how they look. You can find your favorite one for sure. The gameplay in general is intriguing. I don't want to explain everything in it, but in short, you have different types of bugs and they have different patterns to move, some of them has different abilities too. Your goal is to surround the enemy queen in any way, however you need to also watch out to not surround yours. There is a rule, where you can't make bugs to separate each other, you need to keep them in a hive state, meaning you need to find different ways to tactically disable the enemy bugs. Long story short, the gameplay has lot of ways for different tactics and you could also say, this game is like chess, but I think this one is more in depth. The game is not difficult to play at all and you can learn the rules pretty fast. The game also support local and online multiplayer, and also online, the game has ranked points too, but also you can host games where you can make your move in a week, meaning you don't have to sit in one place to finish a game. The lengths of matches are not long too, mostly 10 - 20 minutes, but this depends on the players too. There are DLCs for the game, which adds new bugs, and they also add more for tactics. Of course, you can play the game without the DLCs.
However there are things which bothers me in the game, first one is the music. I really don't like it, even though it doesn't sound bad at first, it's going to be annoying. The way how you need to make a match room is weird. You need to create a game, choose the rules and if you play with a friend, you invite him. Then you start the game, but the software just throws you out to the multiplayer menu or you just stay in the room creation menu and you need to manually leave that and get into your match. It's really weird. Also, the game recommends you to register to it's service, however you can play the game without it.
Long story short, Hive gives you a chill gameplay, meanwhile you can be a tactical mastermind on the battlefield of hive. I really like the game in general and I can definitely recommend to play it either alone, but it's better against others. For 8.2€, maybe it's a little much, get in around 5€, and the DLCs for 2.4€ also a bit much, get it cheaper for sure, but only if you into the game more.
The game Hive is great only problem is is get anihilated against people online.
Fun game of "Bug Chess"
The digital version is not especially great, but the game is cool still. Biggest problem is probably having someone to play with.
用朋友的话说就是：这是个从别人身上爬上爬下的游戏
Thinky portable game. If you want to play a chess like game but don't want to learn chess then this is a great choice.
great game.
strat
great
Can be played at any level very simply, but is Chess-like in its depth when played properly
de 0 a 10 dou nota 10 pois cumpre o que promete.
jogo de tabuleiro com algumas pedrinhas tipo dominó.
o jogo não exige sorte, é 100% inteligência.
a IA do jogo é boa para treinar e depois jogar contra os outros na vida real.
compre esse jogo se você possuir o jogo de tabuleiro.
This is one of my favourite boardgames. It's simple yet challenging. It is VERY satisfying when you think you have lost & find a clever move out of the hole.
I would suggest buying the game on steam to learn how to play but really you will want to buy the physical version. It's pocket sized & perfect for a train trip.
Wierne przeniesienie planszówkowej wersji gry na komputerową. Możliwość wyboru koloru płytek, więc są i standardowe z pierwszego wydania i te w wersji "węglowej" (edycja carbon). Co mi się nie podoba natomiast to fakt, że istnieje. Z nikim nie zagramy. Niedawno odpaliłem znowu, żeby zobaczyć czy w ogóle jacyś gracze przybyli, bo już na początku było z tym bardzo kiepsko. Odpaliłem więc, no i... Załamałem się. Nie ma ani żywej duszy. Chcecie pograć z żywymi ludźmi? Lepiej kupić wersję planszową, przeczytać na spokojnie instrukcję, zaś komputerową całkowicie sobie darować. Muzyka to jeden i ten sam zapętlony motyw, który na szczęście można wyłączyć w opcjach (muzyczka rodem z pierwszych "wesołych midi-melodyjek", strasznie irytująca), do dźwięków nie mam co się czepiać, bo co mogli innego dać jak tylko dobieranie i wykładanie kolejnych płytek owadów? Swoją drogą, także można wyłączyć, więc dobre i to. Ech... Jak chcesz zagrać przeciwko AI, to od razu zaznaczam: nie ma tu takowej. Zazwyczaj nabiera się na te same numery, pomimo możliwości dobrania różnych poziomów trudności. Tak sobie końcówkę zrymowałem, bo co przekazać chciałem właśnie napisałem. Ave! :D
Pretty neat!
This game dont need recomendation. Is just great :)
I almost never review games.
First off, Hive is a fantastic game. And by that I mean the original board game. This however is a barely competent port with broken multiplayer, possibly the ugliest ui ever created, and just plain weird "sound design." I understand the burbling swamp and frog sound is supposed to help with the theme of bugs, but why are you doubling down on the most irrelevant aspect of the game. Does Nintendo know you guys cribbed the mario pause sound for your pause sound?
I taught beginning Comp Sci for years at a community college and this looks like something one of my students would have turned in. If they did, I'd be very impressed. But that isn't where I got this game. This was produced by supposedly professional developers.
Can you play Hive with this? Yes, if you want to play the computer. Do you want to? No. It's clunky, ugly, sounds terrible and just hurts that this is the "official" digital version. It's a shame because this port has the bones to be fantastic but it's ruined by weird baffling design choices.
Multiplayer does not work. Board does not update and attempts to rejoin your lobby will only lead to an error that crashes the whole game. I don't know why this game has positive reviews.
Strategico. Scacchistico ma molto più veloce. La IA ha rappresentato un discreto livello di sfida per i primi 4 anni.
Ma se non la renderanno più forte mi toccherà continuare a giocare contro altri esseri umani purtroppo.
Not a bad game, but playing it digitally feels lackluster. Would be better off as a mobile app than a PC game.
Bug chess! Its like chess but new and fresh. the expansions are def worth it.
This game breaks my heart...
So, I'm into the Hive (the board game) since January of this year, when I found out there was a digital version on Steam I was so happy.
And then, I tried the digital game...
I can't believe some game studio can F*ck a game so simple, this bad...
The Online games rarely work as they should, and there's a game breaking bug where if you leave your opponent without moves, the game glitches and immediately declare a draw...
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE HIVE (the board game), so I hope the game developers do something about this annoying things.
Please fix Hive.
Don't buy it, till then.
Quite fun. Very well designed.
Endlessly replayable. Perfect depth. Great price. Fun game you’ll want to play 10 in a row of. I’ve really enjoyed playing with a controller.
Aki szereti az eredetit az ezt is kedveli szerintem.
Számomra fura, hogy a második legerősebb szint nekem nehezebb mint a legerősebb.
It's not bad but its not good. Interesting concept. definitely not worth $10
great fun
Hive is an instant classic. Mindful strategy for all ages.
My ant ate the queen.
Fast and easy mind game.
You play a match in les than 5 min.
Great for mind pussels
super joc.
No one to play against online. Online server is very dead.
good game really like it. own the non digital version as well.
It`s basically a strategy game. Chance doesn`t intervene here. The rules are few and easy to understand. You play it with chips or tiles that have different insects depicted on them. There are a number of tactics and strategy to learn but that won`t take to long to manage. Interface is great. I recommend it.
But I would like to add that it could be upgraded :
1) If there was a higher level of play. I have less than a week since I learned how to play this game and I already beat the AI most of the time in the highest level. There is a mobile version that plays harder.
2) If there was the possibility to save games and to reload them later for review. Again, the mobile version has this feature.
3) And finally, although this is not that important , if there was the option to play in 2D.
simple to learn very difficult to master
Great little chess-like. There's not a lot of pieces to have to learn, and once you get the knack, it's a real fun challenge with friends to try to outwit each other.
Very fun game and decent AI. Takes a little getting used to seeing the game board, but a great way to practice.
The best way to play Hive online. Has a small and dedicated community that play asynchronously. Very nice.
Excelent digital rendering of the board game!
Great game!
Full review at: https://thegamehoard.com/2020/07/10/hive-pc/
With its flexible ways to play with a friend, an AI opponent with adjustable difficulties, and a more interesting albeit minimal presentation, the board game Hive might work better for many players in its video game adaptation. The strategic play that emerges from the pieces being how the game board is built continues to stoke the mind and encourage diverse strategies. Utilizing the unique movement capabilities of the five bug types to trap the opponent’s tiles or squeak by to surround the queen does require some thought and clever play, and with the DLC things can get even more complex. The speedier play and dynamically shifting options could definitely make it preferable to other board games and multiplayer titles, so it is certainly an enjoyable strategy game despite not really having oomph needed to make the play consistently tense or overly thrilling.
Just picked this up on a whim. I had never heard of it before but wanted something I could play with my wife that isn't too complicated, but still thoughtful. I watched a quick YouTube tutorial video and we were playing our first round 5 minutes later! So easy to pick up and play and clearly so difficult to master. Highly recommended!
Hive is a great game. A chess-like 1-1 game that is so much more fun and accessible than chess, without losing strategic depth.
So what about the digital version? The tiles look nice but the interface is an ugly mess. It also has issues with my 4K monitor, rendering it unplayable on it.
None of that really matters though as the game is pretty solid and this version is pretty fun to play with a gamepad in a comfy chair.
Ein wirklich schönes Spiel! Allerdings nur mit den Addons. Als kleine Zerstreuung zwischendurch sehr geeignet :)
+ Well constructed when in-game
+ No need to remember what each piece does, the computer shows you when you click a piece
+ Remote play together
- No undo button when you made a mistake
- Gameplay against human opponent is great, the computer however, not so great, very predictable.
- Setting up a game with a friend is weird and counter-intuitive, and I can't remember how to just continue playing with the same person but a new game because it isn't quite clear in the options
- Unfortunately the expansions are not included in the base game but can be quite expensively bought as a DLC add-on.
My mother and I play this game nearly every week. However you can get this game including the expansions via Tabletop Simulator, but it isn't as sleek as this game. Would I have bought it if my mother hadn't bought it before I told her I already had it in TS? No, do I regret it? A bit (mostly because of the difficulty with setting-up and continueing games with personal friend and the missing expansions) but the fun I have with my mum is well worth it.
Excellent game. Some elements of Chess but very different. Easy to learn but a lifetime to master as they say. Very complex strategically with no luck element.
Hive is a great game; this is a horrible way to play it.
The game is an abstract strategy game. The goal is easy: surround the enemy Queen.
Each turn you may either place or move a piece.
Atmosphere: organic.
Starting out it feels a lot like Chess with hints of Go.
A hundred or so games in it starts to feel a lot more like Go than Chess.
A hundred or so games later once you start to seriously consider the hive's structure and position, it begins to feel like Hive.
Complexity: fun.
This won't replace your favorite abstract of choice long-term. At the higher levels there are standard sequences that must be played or you'll out-right lose or allow your opponent back in the game. These sequences are basic arithmetic; this makes it easy to understand the "why" to these sequences which allows for proper deviations and/or interesting choices later (often to provide a tempo swing, go for more than a draw, etc.).
While the branches can become vast, navigating each one is easier than at first glance because they mostly all boil down to counting.
There are possible branches in end game that involve restructuring the entire Hive: This idea of whole-Hive restructuring is beyond my level to claim if it's more than counting.
Community: larger than you think.
The community on Steam is small to non-existent. This is why I can't recommend this Hive software. The default AI can only take you so far even at the highest level.
BoardGameArena is where the real community is. If you thrash the AI or your IRL friends, this will be a good place to be humbled and learn something new. There are enough people that I can always find a live game in under 10 minutes no matter the time of day.
HIVE RULES
