Comparison

Hive® Game vs Gurka

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

Gurka

Experience the Swedish card game Gurka with friends in online lobbies. Enjoy a fun and engaging card game experience designed for multiplayer fun.

Highlights
  • Play Gurka card game
  • Online lobbies
  • Multiplayer with friends
  • Swedish card game
Read full description

Play the Swedish card game Gurka in a lobby with friends!

Screenshots

Hive® Game4 screens
Gurka4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Gurka at 5.0 against Hive® Game's 4.5. Gurka also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 65%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Hive® Game's advantage is ratings volume (280 vs 6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Gurka asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Gurka holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hive® Game has 280 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Hive® Game's written reviews are positive against 100% of Gurka's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, Gurka every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Hive® Game versus Gurka: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHive® GameGurka
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (280 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings280 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiantStep Kft.Lars Barkman

Customer experience

Hive® Game

All ratings280 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews96 reviews
Positive64.6%
Neutral11.5%
Negative24.0%

Gurka

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hive® Game

One-time1
  • Elite Edition$9.99
None

Gurka

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hive® Game free?
Hive® Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gurka free?
Gurka is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hive® Game or Gurka?
Gurka is rated higher. Hive® Game averages 4.5 out of 5 from 280 ratings, while Gurka averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Hive® Game or Gurka have ads?
Neither Hive® Game nor Gurka shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hive® Game or Gurka?
Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, and Gurka every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hive® Game was updated on September 25, 2026 and Gurka on June 1, 2026.

Other comparisons