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Hive / Similar games

18 games like Hive

The best games like Hive are Calico, Through the Desert and Survive Escape from Atlantis! — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. Calico shares abstract strategy, animals, enclosure with Hive.

Every alternative below links to its own Hive-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s abstract strategy / animals shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of Hive’s 2.3 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

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  1. 1. Calico (2020)
    1–4 players · 30–45 min · ★ 7.9 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Enclosure, Hexagon Grid · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · plays solo · scales to 4 · ~18 min longer · same complexity
    View Calico on Amazon →
  2. 2. Through the Desert (1998)
    2–5 players · 45 min · ★ 7.1 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Enclosure, Hexagon Grid · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 5 · ~25 min longer · same complexity
    View Through the Desert on Amazon →
  3. 3. Survive Escape from Atlantis! (1982)
    2–4 players · 45–60 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~33 min longer · 0.6 lighter
    View Survive Escape from Atlantis! on Amazon →
  4. 4. Takenoko (2011)
    2–4 players · 45 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~25 min longer · 0.4 lighter
  5. 5. Abalone Classic (1987)
    2 players · 30 min · ★ 6.5 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid, Slide/Push · 3 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · ~10 min longer · same complexity
  6. 6. Mexica (2002)
    2–4 players · 90 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Enclosure, Grid Movement · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~70 min longer · +0.4 heavier
  7. 7. Torres (1999)
    2–4 players · 60 min · ★ 7.1 · Medium
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Enclosure, Grid Movement · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~40 min longer · +0.5 heavier
  8. 8. Wind River (2008)
    3–4 players · 60 min · ★ 6.5 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: no player-count overlap (3–4 vs 2–2) · scales to 4 · ~40 min longer · 0.2 lighter
  9. 9. Tortuga (2007)
    2 players · 10 min · ★ 6.1 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · ~10 min shorter · 0.6 lighter
  10. 10. War Chest (2018)
    2–4 players · 30 min · ★ 8.0 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Grid Movement · 1 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~10 min longer · same complexity
  11. 11. Mariposas (2020)
    2–5 players · 45–75 min · ★ 7.1 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 5 · ~40 min longer · 0.2 lighter
  12. 12. Hey (2003)
    2–4 players · 20 min · ★ 6.7 · Light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · 0.9 lighter
  13. 13. YINSH (2003)
    2 players · 30–60 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Grid Movement · 1 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · ~25 min longer · +0.4 heavier
  14. 14. Sonora (2020)
    1–4 players · 30–45 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Enclosure · 1 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · plays solo · scales to 4 · ~18 min longer · same complexity
  15. 15. Santorini (2016)
    2–4 players · 20 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Three Dimensional Movement · 1 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · about the same length · 0.6 lighter
  16. 16. Longhorn (2013)
    2 players · 15 min · ★ 6.6 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Grid Movement · 1 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · about the same length · 0.6 lighter
  17. 17. High Tail It! (1992)
    2–4 players · 30 min · ★ 6.9 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Grid Movement · 1 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~10 min longer · 0.4 lighter
  18. 18. Haru Ichiban (2014)
    2 players · 20 min · ★ 6.7 · Medium-light
    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Grid Movement · 1 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (17%)
    vs Hive: both play at 2 · about the same length · 0.6 lighter
Check Calico on Amazon →

As an Amazon Associate, MeeplePick earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked

What game is most like Hive?
Calico (2020) is the closest match to Hive, sharing abstract strategy, animals, enclosure. It rates 7.9/10 on BoardGameGeek.
What should I play if I like Hive?
Calico, Through the Desert, Survive Escape from Atlantis! are the top-ranked alternatives to Hive in the MeeplePick database, matched on medium-light complexity as well as mechanics. All 18 are ranked on this page with the shared mechanics shown for each.
Is Calico harder than Hive?
Compared with Hive, Calico is same complexity and ~18 min longer (2.2 vs 2.3 complexity on BoardGameGeek's 1–5 scale).

Narrow it down

best 2-player board games · enclosure games · grid movement games · hexagon grid games · three dimensional movement games

Looking for the original? See the full Hive fact page — players, play time, age and complexity.