Comparison

Hive® Game vs Crokinole 2D

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

Crokinole 2D

Experience the classic flicking board game with realistic physics and authentic sounds. Play against AI, practice shots, or compete for high scores in arcade mode. Enjoy local multiplayer on iPad for up to four players.

Highlights
  • Realistic physics and sounds
  • AI matches (singles/doubles)
  • iPad-only local multiplayer
  • Solo practice drills
  • Timed arcade mode
  • Tournament and standard scoring
  • Board and disc customization
Features
Read full description

Crokinole 2D is the classic board game with flick-to-shoot controls, realistic physics, authentic sounds, and multiple game modes. Play matches against the AI, drill shots in practice mode, or battle for high scores in arcade mode. Plus, your iPad becomes a portable Crokinole board with iPad-only local singles and doubles matches for 2-4 players. Highlights: • Realistic Crokinole physics and authentic sounds • Match play against the AI in doubles or singles with five difficulty levels • iPad-only local singles matches, and doubles with 2-4 player • Solo practice drills for 20s, hangers, rolling shots, and Hogans Alley • Timed arcade runs with high score lists and final-countdown pressure • Tournament and standard scoring • Board and disc customization • Match and historical statistics • Two shooting modes: flicking or pull-back-and-release Whether you want a quick warmup, a focused practice session, or a tense last-shot finish, Crokinole 2D is built to make every flick count.

Screenshots

Hive® Game4 screens
Crokinole 2D4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Hive® Game at Free against Crokinole 2D's $1.99. Hive® Game also leads on ratings volume (314 vs 11) and device support (4 vs 2). Crokinole 2D's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 63%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence and ads 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

Hive® Game is free to download; Crokinole 2D costs $1.99 up front. Hive® Game sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Crokinole 2D asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Crokinole 2D holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hive® Game has 314 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Hive® Game's written reviews are positive against 100% of Crokinole 2D's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, Crokinole 2D every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Hive® Game versus Crokinole 2D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHive® GameCrokinole 2D
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.5 (314 ratings)4.9 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings314 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiantStep Kft.BENJAMIN ROBERT STADLER

Customer experience

Hive® Game

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

Crokinole 2D

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hive® Game

One-time1
  • Elite Edition$9.99
None

Crokinole 2D

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hive® Game free?
Hive® Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Crokinole 2D free?
Crokinole 2D costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hive® Game or Crokinole 2D?
Crokinole 2D is rated higher. Hive® Game averages 4.5 out of 5 from 314 ratings, while Crokinole 2D averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.
Do Hive® Game or Crokinole 2D have ads?
Neither Hive® Game nor Crokinole 2D shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hive® Game or Crokinole 2D?
Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, and Crokinole 2D every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hive® Game was updated on October 30, 2026 and Crokinole 2D on October 28, 2026.

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