Continue if you are looking for games like Hive and are curious about what similar games to play next. This game is a very simple abstract strategy 2 player showdown where you take a small number of insect pieces that all do different things and place one back and forth with your opponent taking either an aggressive or defensive position each turn. Surround your opponent’s queen to win.
To determine this list we broke down Hive to what it is. It is almost like chess, where different pieces have rules and you need to very subtly, but strategically, attack your opponent in a way that is going to bring home victory. It is a puzzle wrapped inside of a war. If you are looking for something similar, you have come to the right place. We took all this into consideration and came up with this list of the 5 board games like Hive.
FOR MORE: Hive Page | How To Play Hive | Buy Hive on Amazon
#05 | Patchwork
Patchwork makes the list of games like Hive because it is a 2 player showdown game that involves pieces having their own effect and strategically placing them in an abstract way based on what your opponent is doing. Both games are simple but get as complex as the play level amongst players.
You compete against another to build the most aesthetic patchwork quilt on a personal 9×9 game board. To start play, all the patches are laid out at random in a circle with a marker placed directly clockwise of the 2-1 patch. On a turn, a player either purchases 1 of the 3 patches standing clockwise of the spool or passes. Lots of complexity ensues and it is up to you to masterfully put together these odd patch pieces into strategic point clusters that give you big points. For 2 players, games last about 15 – 30 minutes.
FOR MORE: Patchwork Page | How To Play Patchwork | Games Like Patchwork | Buy Patchwork on Amazon
#04 | The Rose King
The Rose King makes the list of similar games like Hive mainly because of the 2 player showdown via abstract strategy nature of the game. They are a little different in gameplay. but in a way that they are both area control, just different area control. A showdown between the Houses of Lancaster and York in England, 15th Century is about to go down.
A single pawn travels on a square grid. You have a hand of cards face up. These each have a direction and a distance. You can either draw a card and add it to your hand or play a card. If you play a card, then the pawn moves the appropriate distance to an empty square, and you place one of your pieces. You score points for each contiguous region equal to the square of the number of markers. For 2 players, games last about 30 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy The Rose King on Amazon
#03 | Aton
Aton makes the list of games like Hive because is has the same character-driven simplistic showdown mechanism. Like chess, move after move, even though subtle, you need to thing five turns ahead to win. This game has a bit more theme but a similar, strong mono e mono core.
The Battle is real. Egypt is in an uproar and Aton wants to be worshiped as the one true god. You take on the role of a Priest who do not want to abdicate their power to this monster. Players are adversaries, waging this war of Gods between them. You both have the same starting position, but who will be able to make better use of their abilities and help their deity to victory? For 2 players, games run around 30 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Aton on Amazon
#02 | The Duke
The Duke makes the list of similar games like Hive because it has that great 2 player showdown abstract strategy like so many other games found here. This game is a dynamic, tile-based strategy game with an old-world, feudal theme and smart thinking with their double-sided tile game mechanism.
Each tile side represents a different posture (offensive or defensive) and shows what the piece can do within the turn. At the end of a move, a tile is flipped showing something brand new. Knowing this, you move around, and depending on who you move where, you can strike your opponent in interesting and possibly devastating ways. For 2 players, games run about 30 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy The Duke on Amazon
#01 | Tatsu
Tatsu is another game from designer John Yianni, it takes the top spot on the list of games like Hive because it has a minimalistic showdown mechanic with all this variety and character that only Yianni can bring to the table in this specific way. If you like Hive and want something similar, start here.
Players control three different types of dragon pieces. By rolling two six-sided dice to decide movement and either combining or splitting the values, the pieces travel round the inside circle of the board, only swapping to the outer circle when landing on the same space as another piece, which will have an effect based on the piece. Victory is gained when a player manages to destroy all of one type of the opposition’s dragons. For 2 players, games run 30 – 45 minutes each.
