Two fierce groups of insects fight each other twisting, shifting and swarming in an attempt to imprison the opposing queen bee: ants nimbly move throughout the array, grasshoppers leap from side to side, spiders crawl around the edges while heavy beetles climb over other insects.
In Hive each player controls hexagonal pieces, representing 5 different types of invertebrate creatures. There is no map or chessboard, but the pieces themselves form the playing field by touching each other.
Hive certainly belongs to the category of abstract games, as mechanics and simplicity of regulation. Nevertheless the strong characterization of the pieces and the graphics contribute to give a soul to the game and in some moments you really have the impression to control an army of insects.
The Coccinella (Ladybug) expansion consists of two game pieces, one for each player, that are used in addition to the base game. It is, according to the publisher, a “very special” expansion that introduces a variation in the game rules.
