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 · See Calico alternatives →

   Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Enclosure, Hexagon Grid · 4 shared tags · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)

   vs Hive: both play at 2 · plays solo · scales to 4 · ~18 min longer · same complexity

   Check price for Calico →
2. 

   2. Through the Desert (1998)

   2–5 players · 45 min · ★ 7.1 · Medium-light · See Through the Desert alternatives →

   Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Enclosure, Hexagon Grid · 4 shared tags · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)

   vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 5 · ~25 min longer · same complexity

   Check price for Through the Desert →
3. 

   3. Survive Escape from Atlantis! (1982)

   2–4 players · 45–60 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-light · See Survive Escape from Atlantis! alternatives →

   Shares with Hive: Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 3 shared tags · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)

   vs Hive: both play at 2 · scales to 4 · ~33 min longer · 0.6 lighter

   Check price for Survive Escape from Atlantis! →
4. 

   4. Takenoko (2011)

   2–4 players · 45 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-light · See Takenoko alternatives →

   Shares with Hive: Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 3 shared tags · 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 · See Abalone Classic alternatives →

   Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid, Slide/Push · 4 shared tags · 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 · See Mexica alternatives →

   Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Enclosure, Grid Movement · 3 shared tags · 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 · See Torres alternatives →

   Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Enclosure, Grid Movement · 3 shared tags · 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 · 4 shared tags · 2 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (33%)

   vs Hive: no player-count overlap (3–4 vs 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 · 4 shared tags · 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 · See War Chest alternatives →

    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Grid Movement · 2 shared tags · 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 · 3 shared tags · 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 · See Hey alternatives →

    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid · 4 shared tags · 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 · See YINSH alternatives →

    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Grid Movement · 2 shared tags · 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 · 3 shared tags · 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 · See Santorini alternatives →

    Shares with Hive: Abstract Strategy, Three Dimensional Movement · 2 shared tags · 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 · 3 shared tags · 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 · 3 shared tags · 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 · 3 shared tags · 1 of Hive’s 6 mechanics (17%)

    vs Hive: both play at 2 · about the same length · 0.6 lighter

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