Hive (English)

Hive is a highly addictive strategic game for 2 players that is not limited by a game board and can be played on any flat surface.

Hive consists of 22 Pieces, 11 black and 11 white, each featuring different insects, each with its own unique way of moving.

How to play Hive

With no setup, the game starts when the first piece is placed. As subsequent pieces are placed, they form a pattern that becomes the playing surface (the pieces become the board). Unlike other games, pieces are never eliminated, and not all must be played. The objective of the game is to surround the opponent's queen while trying to prevent them from doing the same with yours. The player who surrounds the other's queen first wins the game.

Placement
A new piece can be placed at any time. However, with the exception of the first piece placed by each player, pieces may not be placed next to a piece of the opponent's color.

It is possible to win the game without placing all your pieces, but once a piece is placed, it cannot be removed again.

Your queen bee can be placed at any time from your first to your fourth turn. You MUST place your queen on your fourth turn if you have not placed it before.

Movement
Once your queen bee is placed (but not before), you can decide whether to use your turns to place new pieces or move one of those you have already placed. Each insect has its own way of moving around the board, and it is possible to move pieces to a position where they touch one or more of your opponent's pieces.

Note: all pieces must always touch at least ONE other piece. If a piece is the only connection between two parts of the hive, it may not be moved.

The insects

• Queen Bee: the queen can only move 1 space per turn. Although she is limited in this way, if moved at the right time, she can disrupt your opponent's plans.
• Beetle: the beetle moves like the queen bee, only 1 space per turn. Unlike any other piece, the beetle can move on top of other pieces. A piece with a beetle on top is unable to move, and for placement rules, the stack takes the color of the beetle. When the beetle is on top of other pieces, it can move from piece to piece on top of the hive. It can also fall into any holes that are surrounded and therefore not accessible to the other pieces. The only way to block a beetle that is on top of the hive is to move another beetle on top of it. All 4 beetles can easily be stacked on top of each other.
• Grasshopper: the grasshopper does not move around the outside of the hive like the other insects do. Instead, it jumps from its position over any number of pieces (but at least 1) to the next available space along a straight line of connected pieces. This allows it to fill a space that is surrounded by other pieces.
• Spider: the spider moves 3 spaces per turn - neither more nor less. It must move in a direct line and cannot move backward. It may only move around pieces it is in direct contact with along the way, and it may not move over to a piece that it is not in direct contact with.
• Ant: The ant can move to any other space around the hive, provided that the restrictions are followed. This freedom of movement makes the ant one of the most valuable pieces.