Board games
Hive
Gen42 GamesJohn Yianni2001
- players
- 2
- minutes
- 20
- years
- 9+
In the box
22 resin pieces: 11 insects per player
Official rules (PDF, publisher's site)
Box details
- Designer
- John Yianni
- Artwork
- John Yianni
- Publisher
- Gen42 Games
- Mechanics
- EnclosureGrid MovementHexagon GridPattern MovementPieces as Map
- Expansions
- Hive: The Mosquito · 2007
- Hive Carbon: The Pillbug · 2020
- Hive: The Ladybug · 2010
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Completely surround the opposing queen, whichever pieces surround her. On your turn, place a piece from your reserve, touching your own and not your opponent's, or move a piece already in play according to its insect's movement; the queen must be placed by your fourth turn at the latest. The round ends as soon as a queen is surrounded on all six sides; if both are surrounded by the same move, the game is a draw.
Checked against the official rules · September 2026
The rules, step by step
Setup
11 pieces per player, 1 queen each, No board
- 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.
- The game begins when a player places their first piece; by custom, especially in tournaments, White opens.
How to play
Place or move, Queen by your 4th turn
- 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 piece. Once placed, a piece never leaves the game.
- The queen must be placed by your fourth turn at the latest, and nothing may move before she is in play. Once moved, however, a piece may touch opposing pieces.
- Each insect has its own movement: the queen one space; the beetle one space, but it can also climb onto the hive and move around on top; the spider exactly three spaces, without backtracking; the grasshopper jumps in a straight line over at least one piece, to the first empty space, without crossing a gap; the ant as far as it likes around the hive.
- A piece covered by a beetle can no longer move, and the stack takes the beetle's colour for placement rules. A beetle is never placed directly on top of the hive.
- A player who can neither place nor move a piece passes their turn.
Scoring
No points, Rounds won
- No points: count the rounds won.
- Enter 1 for the winner of the round, 0 for the other player.
End of the game
Surrounded queen loses, Both surrounded: draw
- 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.
- It is also a draw when both players are condemned to repeat the same moves endlessly.
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…
- 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 slip through a gap that is too narrow: you must be able to slide it there. The grasshopper and the beetle, which jump or climb, are exempt from this restriction.
- 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.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
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 moves one space but can climb onto the hive, the grasshopper jumps in a line over at least one piece, 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.