Board games
Hive
Completely surround the opposing queen bee, whichever side the surrounding pieces belong to.
- players
- 2
- minutes
- 20
You’ll need the game box. Marquoir sums up the rules and keeps score.
Setup
- Two players, eleven hexagonal pieces each: one queen, two spiders, two beetles, three ants, three grasshoppers.
- No board: the pieces placed form the playing area themselves.
- White starts by placing a piece anywhere on the table.
How to play
- On your turn, place a piece from your reserve, or move a piece already in play.
- A placed piece must touch at least one of your own and none of your opponent's — except for each side's very first move.
- The queen must be placed by your fourth turn at the latest, and nothing may move before she is in play.
- Each insect has its own movement: the queen one space, the beetle one space but climbing on top, the spider exactly three, the grasshopper in a straight line jumping over the others, the ant as far as it likes around the edge.
Scoring
- No points: count the rounds won.
- Enter 1 for the winner of the round, 0 for the other player.
End of the game
- The round ends as soon as a queen is surrounded on all six sides.
- If both queens are surrounded by the same move, the game is a draw.
House rules and pitfalls
- The hive must never be split in two, not even during a move: a piece whose departure would isolate a group is pinned.
- A piece cannot slide through a gap that is too narrow: there must be room on both sides to slide it.
- The ant is the strongest piece in the game; placing your queen at the edge of the hive is the mistake that costs the most games.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a board?
No: the pieces (hexagons) are placed straight on the table and form the "hive". The board is the arrangement of the pieces itself.
What is the goal?
Completely surround the opposing queen: as soon as a queen bee is surrounded by six pieces (of any kind), its owner loses.
How do the pieces move?
Each has its own movement: the ant travels far around the edge, the beetle climbs onto the hive, the grasshopper jumps in a line, the spider takes exactly three steps. The queen moves one space.
What is the rule that surprises people?
You can never break the hive: after a move, all pieces must stay connected. A piece whose departure would split the hive cannot move.
When must you place your queen?
By your fourth turn at the latest. Many beginners place her too early and expose her, or too late and find themselves stuck.
The box
- Released
- 2001
- Age
- Ages 9+
- Designer
- John Yianni
- Artwork
- John Yianni
- Publisher
- Gen42 Games
- Mechanics
- EncerclementDéplacement sur grilleHexagonesDéplacements codifiésPièces comme plateau
- Contents
- 22 pièces en résine : 11 insectes par joueur
- Expansions
- Hive: The Mosquito · 2007
- Hive Carbon: The Pillbug · 2020
- Hive: The Ladybug · 2010
Where to find it
Specialist French shops. Marquoir earns nothing from these links.