Smart Zone Games Hive Pocket

My son loves it

Hive is one of the games that I carry with me when I travel. I have played it with a huge variety of groups from younger kids to bored business managers between seminars. The rules are simple. You place tiles in an effort to surround the opponents Queen. Once the Queen is places, players can also move the tiles already on the board. Each of the tiles has special movement abilities. Some are more defensive, and some are more offensive. This version gets particular praise, because it includes some errata and clarification in the rules, it includes the two optional pieces that came out since the original game was published, and it is truly portable. Five stars! I highly recommend this game! In service, Rich

very fun and challenging for 2 players. easy to learn, teach, play, set up, and put away. pocket size tiles are fine. not too small. havent tried out the ladybug and mosquito expansions yet

simple, easy to learn, fun, and light for travel!

I collect games of high quality, and Hive is perhaps the highest. The tiles are made of thick bakelite, absolutely gorgeous and a pleasure to handle. There seven basic pieces: Grasshopper (3) - jumps in a straight line over any number of pieces. Ant (3) - slides anywhere legal. Beetle (2) - crawls 1 in any direction, including atop the hive. Spider (2) - slides 3 spaces without backtracking. Ladybug (1) - moves 2 atop the hive, then 1 down. Queen bee (1) - slides 1 in any direction. Mosquito (1) - copies the movement of any single pieces it touches. On the first turn, players place one of their piece adjacent to each other, and this forms the Hive. No move may be made which separates the Hive. On each turn, a player may do one of the following: 1. Place a piece so that it doesnt touch an enemy piece. 2. Move a friendly piece. To win, surround the opponents queen bee. Quite a delightful game. This set is identical to the Hive Carbon set, except that the pieces are smaller. Each piece is roughly the size of 5 stacked US quarters. The game comes with a nice carrying bag. One draw back -- the rules are now a larger fold-out sheet which works okay if the game is kept in the original plastic case, but not so well if you want to carry a copy of the rules. A more portable version of the rules should have been provided. The is also an excellent Hive app, in case youd like to try playing the game.

Whenever I tell people about this game, I describe it as simplified chess. I say this because each piece can do something different and it requires planning and strategy much like chess. Another difference is that this game is far lighter and much friendlier. Each game can be played in 10 minutes and each is a ton of fun. I decided to get the pocket version as it comes with 2 expansions (mosquito, lady bug). I also saw the original size of the pieces and it almost felt comical to me in comparison to the pocket size. Hive Pocket is the best version of Hive and is a perfect abstract game for 2 players. It can be played nearly anywhere and I completely recommend it.

Brilliant Strategy game...one of the all time best, if not THE best. No board, simple intuitive rules, and the most beautifully designed pieces...I sound like a fanboy, because I am. The negative reviews...what can I say? Too hard? Some simple folks see pretty colors and think ooh, its like candy!!...this isnt candy, its a strategy game. Wonky mechanics? What a nimrod.

Hive is a fantastic strategy game, and Id been wanting to pick up a copy for a while. Somebody on BGG convinced me to get the pocket version, and they were right. It has the same high quality pieces, just smaller - but not at all too small, still plenty big enough to handle and better for playing on smaller tables. Also has both the ladybug and mosquito expansions and is cheaper than the full size copy.

Gave this one away as a gift, but I have the full-sized version. Excellent travel game (even at full size) - this is a great game for kids or adults. Easy to learn, but deep/strategic enough to play over and over. I once played it for three hours straight while snowed in at an airport. Worthwhile to have in your collection.

Great! Weve borrowed the original hive from a friend once and weve been looking for a good way to get it since. This is the best deal from hive i have seen. IT COMES WITH THE LADYBUG AND MOSQUITO! worth it just for the expantions which are usually $11 each on amazon for the regular size. The pocket size is not that much smaller than the original. I would also recommend getting pill bug (sold separately). The original size is a rip off compared to this. Carbon Hive also includes the same expansions but black and white makes it harder to recognize pieces at a glance.