Comparison

Hive® Game vs Grainfall

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
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"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

Grainfall

Features
Read full description

Grainfall is a color-sorting puzzle that knows the perfect score. Every level runs through a real solver, so the game knows the exact fewest moves — the par — before your first pour. Match par for 3 stars and see exactly how close to perfect you played. Pour liquid between tubes until every color lands in its own tube. Simple to learn, hard to perfect. FEATURES - 500+ levels across 7 difficulty tiers, Easy to Grandmaster - A solver-computed par and star rating on every puzzle - Daily & Weekly challenges with streaks and iCloud sync - Hardcore Mode — a countdown clock and only 3 undos - Deep Sort — an endless 12–13 color campaign for experts - Mini Games — Shell Game, Void Memory, and a 50-level Rush Campaign - Customize tubes, fills, and backgrounds with tokens you earn by playing - 37 Game Center achievements - Colorblind mode and Reduce Motion support No subscriptions and no third-party ads. A one-time purchase unlocks every mode — optional token packs are there if you want a boost, but you can earn everything just by playing.

Screenshots

Hive® Game4 screens
Grainfall4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Hive® Game at 4 against Grainfall's 1. Hive® Game also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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 Grainfall sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, Grainfall fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Hive® Game versus Grainfall: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHive® GameGrainfall
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (280 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings280 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiantStep Kft.Hrdlicka Apps LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hive® Game

One-time1
  • Elite Edition$9.99
6 purchases

Grainfall

One-time6
  • 25 Coins$0.99
  • Starter Pack — 120 Coins$1.99
  • 90 Coins$2.99
Show 3 more
  • Premium Unlock$3.99
  • 175 Coins$4.99
  • 400 Coins$9.99

Questions

Is Hive® Game free?
Hive® Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Grainfall free?
Grainfall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hive® Game or Grainfall have ads?
Neither Hive® Game nor Grainfall shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hive® Game or Grainfall?
Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, and Grainfall fortnightly. Most recently, Hive® Game was updated on October 16, 2026 and Grainfall on September 30, 2026.

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