Hive Pocket

Great game for those that like the idea of chess. However, this game is much more simple than chess (and arguably better for it). I had no problem playing with my partner who is not interested in chess whatsoever. Pros: - Full game in a pocket size (slightly smaller tiles than the original) - Comes with drawstring travel bag that is perfect for stuffing into your carry-on luggage - Mosquito and ladybird expansion tiles included (add a slight complexity for regular players) - Lovely coloured tiles (no idea why anyone would purchase the black/white version) - Perfect for playing almost anywhere: no board, just play anywhere with a flat surface! Cons: - I have spotted one other expansion that isn't included: pillbug. Would be nice for them to update this pack to include, rather than charge £7-11 (prices I can see right now) for two extra tiles. - Not a problem for me, but mine also came with slight marks underneath the tiles as others have commented. I don't think this is from previous use, but is instead an issue with manufacturing/storage. Barely noticeable anyway. Final thoughts: Excellent game, I would buy it again. The cons listed are very picky, but worth pointing out.

I was torn between the 2 sizes and the 2 colour schemes. I decided upon the smaller size and the colour version. I have not been disappointed. The size is absolutely perfect, especially for travelling. In fact I would not want it any bigger. I think the colours are a personal choice and I am happy with the coloured tiles. The tiles look and feel of good quality and the travel bag they come with is great. I travel for work a lot and took this with me to teach to a friend and we both loved it. I did begin by playing without the 2 expansion pieces that come with this set to make it easier but I'm glad we had them as we soon wanted that extra challenge. The only downside is the instructions were in 4 languages none of which was English but we figured out how to play through a combination of pictures and the internet. It is a simple game with a lot of strategy. Each piece has a different movement with the aim being to completely surround the other persons queen. I would say the concept is similar to chess but it is quicker and much more fun!

My fiance & I purchased this a day before we left for a backpacking trip through Thailand. It was absolutely perfect for it, you can comfortably play it on an airplane or any mode of transport with any flat surface. We got so addicted, we played everywhere. At bars, restaurants, at the beach. Even on the floor of a pool. After all of this, all the pieces are as new, no marks, discoloration or fading. The game is really simple to understand - I see it like a much more free flowing game of chess. In the same sense you can enjoy playing chess at a beginners level, it goes a lot deeper, right? Exactly the same with this - it becomes extremely strategic. Over the years I've played many tabletop games and as value for money goes, this is very well priced. Great gift idea!

Hive Pocket is genuinely a brilliant game. Compact, clever, and surprisingly intense for something that looks like bug-themed dominoes. The strategy is deep, the pieces are satisfyingly chunky, and it’s perfect for travel, unless your travel companions are allergic to thinking more than one move ahead. Unfortunately, in our household, Hive has become the board game equivalent of eating your vegetables. It’s good for you, but no one’s excited about it. I bring it out, and suddenly everyone remembers urgent tasks like reorganising the sock drawer or staring blankly at the wall. It’s not Hive’s fault, it’s ours. We’re more of a “throw dice and yell” kind of crowd than “quietly trap the queen bee in a hexagonal death spiral.” So while I respect the game immensely, it’s collecting dust next to other noble misfits like chess and the treadmill. If your family enjoys tactical duels and doesn’t flinch at the word “abstract,” Hive Pocket is a gem. If not… maybe stick to games with explosions or plastic swords.

Hive is an enigma. It is a 2 player game that is simultaneously dead easy and intricately complex. A bit like a crossword puzzle designed for 5 year olds, written in Latin. The most similar game to Hive out at the moment, and for the last thousand years actually, is Chess. You each take turns to move (or place) one of the game pieces according to their individual movement rules in an effort to surround your opponents bee, (check mate, if you will) while preventing your opponent doing the same to you. Hive differs from Chess not in complexity, but duration. While a game of chess can be like 90 minutes wading through treacle with an ice pick lodged in your pre-frontal cortex, a game of Hive lasts aound 5 minutes. And because of this, it doesn't matter if you lose! You just play again. You can experiment with different strategies without fear of wasting an hour in the process. Speaking of strategies, this is where Hive really shows its strength. You are required to place your bee tile down in your first 4 turns, but on which turn you decide to do it makes a MASSIVE difference to the rest of the game. Do you wait until turn 4? You get to put out more pieces potentially setting yourself up better for the rest of the game, but you're not allowed to move any of your other pieces until you've placed your bee, potentially allowing your opponent to pin you in early. The short length of the average game means you can experiment and find what works for you, and there's no wrong way to do it (except putting your bee down on turn one, that's just mad). Decent two player games are very hard to come by. Patchwork is fun but a little on the 'luck driven' side of things. Dominion is good but people that have played lots of card games before will have a clear edge. Netrunner is magnificent but unless you have someone to teach you, is harder to learn than braille. Hive is easy to learn but impossible to master. It's cheap (in the world of games anyway), and you can easily play it in the pub, airport terminal, back seat, 5 star restaurant, lift, portaloo etc. This is as close to the perfect game as it's possible to get without making a deal with the Devil. (disclaimer - I accept no responsibility for lost game tiles while participating in portaloo gaming. Game responsibly)

Possibly one of the greatest modern games of our time, involving a classic strategy with clever modern bold design, the hexagon idea really works. Much has been said about the game, which plays really well even without expansions. No one on Amazon or in on line reviews has mentioned a key benefit of the pocket edition , that is it is perfect for analysing your games and playing them back as well as being a lot cheaper version of the classic. The pieces a sturdy and solid and looked bigger than I imagined. If you like chess get this game you will love it for all the similarities. If you hate chess then get this game you will love it for all the differencies. It took time to create but it was worth it. check out the books too. Fun sharp quick and clever , will last a lifetime and easy to learn very difficult to master

Pocket Hive has become an essential part of our train journey entertainment, and my boyfriend and I absolutely love it! This compact and lightweight game has provided us with countless hours of fun and bonding on our travels. It’s Travel-Friendly: Its small size and lightweight design make it perfect for train journeys. Engaging Gameplay: Pocket Hive offers a unique and captivating gaming experience. Strategic Challenge: It's a game that keeps our minds sharp and entertained. Perfect for Couples: Ideal for couples looking to pass the time together. High Replayability: We never get tired of playing it; every match is different. Durable: Despite its compact size, the game pieces are well-made and durable. It’s definitely a game we don’t leave home without!

In Hive, players take turn placing their hex pieces down or moving existing ones about in order to completely surround their opponent's bee pieces, which is far harder than it may look. Each of the pieces is printed with an insect character and each insect has its own movement rules. For example, the bee piece can simply move by one each turn (a movement being along the edge of the hex pieces placed so far), whereas the grasshopper insect can jump across any number of insect tiles to the other side. More interesting pieces are the beetle (though it looks like an earwig) that can climb on top of other pieces, pinning them in place and the ant that can whip around the hive any number of spaces. Normally you have to place a new piece so that its adjacent to only your own colour pieces but obviously this doesn't apply at the very beginning of the game. The bee piece has to be placed within the first four moves but you're also not allowed to move any existing pieces until you place your bee, so there's a bit more strategy in when to put your bee down. What makes the game interesting is that you cannot break the 'hive', the hive being the tiles that have been placed so far. So you can't break the tiles into two islands by moving your pieces. This means that a piece can easily get stuck in place and you often find that you can only move a couple of your pieces at any one time. Like chess, this soon leads to you having pieces that you don't want to move because they're preventing opponent's pieces from from moving but, in doing so, they're kinda tied up themselves. If you like abstract games like chess or go but want something that's a little different and plays a little quicker then you can't really go wrong with Hive. You should also look into the differences between the versions: * Regular Hive has large pieces but doesn't include the mosquito or ladybird pieces. * Hive Pocket, which I'm reviewing here, is the travel version of the game. The tiles are much smaller than regular Hive but the game also comes with the ladybird and mosquito pieces that you would have to buy separately with regular Hive. It also includes a nice cloth bag. There are also Carbon versions which have monochromatic pieces. In all cases the pieces are lovely clinky plastic that's often compared to Bakelite. If you've played Bananagrams then it's similar to the material those letter tiles are made out of, only chunkier.

Pour qui aime les jeux de placement et de blocage, ce jeu est tout simplement IN-CRO-YABLE. Sans doute LE jeu de société moderne avec le plus fort ratio profondeur-simplicité, et de loin ! Règle expliquée en 5 minutes, concentration et tension extrême pendant les 30 minutes que dure une partie en moyenne, courbe de progression énorme, encombrement minimal (surtout avec cette version de poche) ; qui dit mieux ? C'est du niveau des échecs, élégant et profond, mais avec la petite thématisation sensible qui vient faire la courte échelle aux esprits que l'abstraction pure rebute. Je n'ai jamais eu le courage de me plonger dans un apprentissage méthodique des échecs, j'ai eu envie de le faire avec "Hive". CQFD. Au-delà de cette thématisation savoureuse - qu'il fallait trouver ! -, le génie de "Hive" tient dans son absence de plateau et dans sa règle dite de "continuité de la ruche", laquelle conduit potentiellement à des agglutinations de pièces, et donc à des renversements de situation spectaculaires (déblocages), qui rend le jeu absolument épique, tendu du début à la fin ! "Hive" est du genre qui vous accompagne toute la vie. Seul bémol avec ce genre de jeu : il vaut mieux jouer avec un adversaire proche de son propre niveau, sinon cela perd de son intérêt.

A travel version of Hive with all the add ons Vs the original version, this set is actually more worthwhile and easier to set up - though the pieces move easily out of place as it is lighter. Take time to learn the rules and you're off to a good time if your opponent is similarly skilled :)

Lättare att lära sig en chess..

Super

Warum ist da nicht voher jemand drau gekommen? Ein paar Spielsteine mit unterschiedlichen Bewegungsmöglichkeiten, die aneinandergelegt werden müssen - fertig ist Hive. So einfach und so genial. Ich habe das Spiel für eine Hüttentour zu zweit gekauft. Da sitzt man oft abends noch in der Stube und hier haben wir Hive ausprobiert. Es hat bereits beim Auspacken überzeugt. Hochwertige Spielsteine, die Spaß machen und den Preis wert sind. Das Insekten-Motto ist erfrischend neu und clever für ein Strategiespiel. Das Spielprinzip ist so zugänglich, dass man nach sehr kurzer Zeit hineinkommtt. Anfänger sollten Marienkäfer und Moskito weglassen. Die Bewegungen der Steine passen sehr gut zu den Krabbeltieren und man mag ihnen fast gewisse Eigenschaften zusprechen (wie dem behäbigen, dicken Käfer). Will man das Spiel mit Schach vergleichen (sehr viel Ähnlichkeit gibt es hier zu König, Läufer und Turm) so, ist dieses Spiel viel übersichtlicher. Dennoch ist es Variantenreicher als z.B. Mühle. Es war unglaublich, wie schnell sich das Geschehen im Spiel änderte und wie die Bewegung der Steine das Spiel in die eine oder andere Richtung treiben