Hive

The verdict

It is a two-player game only, so buy it for a regular opponent, not a group night.

Hive — price and Amazon star rating unverified in our research · the chess-like duel with no board and no cards to read.

Hive, from Gen42 Games (sold by Smart Zone Games on Amazon), is a two-player abstract strategy game: each player has 11 hexagonal tiles representing insects — queen bee, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, and soldier ants — and wins by completely surrounding the opponent's queen bee. There is no board; the tiles themselves form the playing area as the game unfolds, and a match takes about 20 minutes.

Before buying, confirm the listing is the base game with 22 tiles and a bag — the Mosquito, Ladybug, and Pillbug pieces are separate expansions, and several editions (standard, Pocket, Carbon) share similar listings. A how-to-play audio or video walkthrough teaches the five insect movement rules faster than the printed rules.

Specs

• Gen42 Games / Smart Zone Games; 2 players; ages 9 and up
• 22 hexagonal tiles, rules, and a draw bag; no board needed
• Goal: surround the opponent's queen bee with your insects
• Five insect types, each with its own movement rule
• About 20 minutes per match; Mensa Select award winner
• Expansions (Mosquito, Ladybug, Pillbug) sold separately

Blind details

For a blind shopper, Hive's buying case is its shape: chunky hexagonal tiles with etched insects that can be told apart by touch once learned, no cards to read, and no board to orient.

Honest caveats: the tiles are distinguished by insect etching, and telling a spider from a grasshopper by touch takes a few games to learn; this is a strategy game with real depth, so it rewards a patient opponent and may not suit casual players. Expect roughly $30 to $40 depending on edition, and confirm the live price at checkout since our research did not capture an Amazon price. As of October 2026.

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Last reviewed: October 2026.