Comparison

Hive® Game vs Humbug 2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hive® Game

Experience the award-winning strategy board game digitally. This app offers a faithful adaptation of the classic game, featuring challenging AI, all official expansions, and customizable visuals. Perfect for both new players and seasoned veterans.

Highlights
  • Official Hive® rules and design
  • Includes all three official expansions
  • Advanced RustyBlade™ AI
  • Adjustable difficulty for beginners
  • Video tutorial by game creator
  • Customizable visual settings
  • Local network play
Features
Read full description

"What impresses me most about this Hive® app is how the AI plays with true strategic depth—enough to challenge even seasoned Hive veterans. The developers have captured the purity of the game beautifully: no clutter, no distractions, just clean design that lets the elegance of Hive shine through. A thoughtful, well-crafted adaptation." – John Yianni, creator of Hive® The award-winning tabletop classic Hive® is now in your pocket. Created with the blessing of the game’s designer, John Yianni, this app delivers a clean, focused, and beautifully polished digital Hive® experience. Hive® is a captivating strategy game often described as “nature’s chess.” There is no board — the game itself is built from the creatures you place. Your goal is simple: surround your opponent’s Queen Bee while keeping your own safe. Easy to learn, endlessly deep to master. OFFICIAL HIVE® EXPERIENCE Faithful to the vision of its original designer, this app captures the award-winning rules and timeless elegance of Hive® without compromise. THE COMPLETE HIVE® Play Hive® exactly as intended. Alongside the base game, all three official expansion pieces are included: Mosquito, Ladybug, and Pillbug. THE RUSTYBLADE™ AI Don’t settle for predictable opponents. RustyBlade™ is a bold, aggressive AI engine that plays with initiative and intent. It doesn’t aim for safe draws — it fights for victory. Expect intense, uncompromising strategic battles. PERFECT FOR BEGINNERS TOO New to Hive®? The fully adjustable difficulty lets RustyBlade™ become a patient training partner. Learn the ropes with a video tutorial by John Yianni (the creator of Hive), while the illustrated rulebook and Undo feature allow you to learn, experiment, and improve without pressure. ELEGANT & FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE A sleek design that adapts to your style. Choose your preferred board orientation (flat or pointy-top), select custom colors, and adjust wood grain intensity. Responsive controls, subtle animations, and haptic feedback ensure a smooth, immersive experience that brings the hive to life. UNIVERSAL PURCHASE Unlock the Elite Edition once and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. ELITE EDITION: - Full access to all official expansions: Mosquito, Ladybug, and Pillbug. - Test your skills against advanced RustyBlade™ AI difficulty levels. - Personalize your experience with premium backgrounds and visual settings. - Detailed player statistics. - Game Center support (friend-invite matches only). - Local network play over the same Wi-Fi network. - Family Sharing: Share the Elite experience with your family at no extra cost. The Hive is humming. The army is ready. Are you? Official Website: https://hivegameapp.com

About

Humbug 2

A challenging logic puzzle game featuring unique bug movements. Solve handcrafted brain teasers or create your own levels. Offers uninterrupted, ad-free gameplay for dedicated puzzle enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Unique bug movement mechanics
  • 30 free levels
  • Level editor for custom puzzles
  • 250+ handcrafted puzzles
  • Community levels
  • Ad-free gameplay
Read full description

Humbug 2 is the completely ad-free, challenging new logic puzzle game from the creators of Humbug, played by over 1 million players! Solve clever brain teasers using a variety of bugs, each with its own unique movement. Perfect for fans of strategy games, IQ puzzles, and difficult logic challenges. Play 30 levels for free, and try building your own with the level editor. Unlock the full game to access: - 250+ handcrafted puzzles - Big brain challenges for experienced puzzle solvers - Unlimited fun with community levels Each Humbug 2 level is a small, satisfying logic challenge that requires planning, deduction, and creative thinking. Move insects that can walk, jump or fly, and combine their abilities to solve tricky puzzles. If you love smart and minimalist puzzle games, tile puzzles, or brain training logic games, Humbug 2 is made for you! Designed for players who want a real challenge! Enjoy clean, uninterrupted gameplay with no ads.

Screenshots

Hive® Game4 screens
Humbug 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Humbug 2 at 96% against Hive® Game's 63%. Humbug 2 also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Hive® Game's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hive® Game sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Humbug 2 sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Humbug 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 314 and 356 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Hive® Game's written reviews are positive against 96% of Humbug 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, Humbug 2 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hive® Game versus Humbug 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHive® GameHumbug 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (314 ratings)4.8 (356 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.3% of reviews95.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings314356 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB120 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperGiantStep Kft.Dunderbit

Customer experience

Hive® Game

All ratings280 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive63.3%
Neutral12.2%
Negative24.5%

Humbug 2

All ratings328 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews183 reviews
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.1%
Negative3.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hive® Game

One-time1
  • Elite Edition$9.99
6 purchases

Humbug 2

One-time6
  • Small Hint Pack$0.99
  • Unlock Editor Features$1.99
  • Medium Hint Pack$2.49
Show 3 more
  • Unlock Full Game$4.99
  • Large Hint Pack$5.99
  • Extra Large Hint Pack$11.99

Questions

Is Hive® Game free?
Hive® Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Humbug 2 free?
Humbug 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hive® Game or Humbug 2?
Humbug 2 is rated higher. Hive® Game averages 4.5 out of 5 from 314 ratings, while Humbug 2 averages 4.8 from 356 ratings.
Do Hive® Game or Humbug 2 have ads?
Neither Hive® Game nor Humbug 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hive® Game or Humbug 2?
Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, and Humbug 2 every 2 months. Most recently, Hive® Game was updated on October 30, 2026 and Humbug 2 on October 31, 2026.

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