Comparison

Hive® Game vs Preserve

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

Preserve

A peaceful puzzle game where you build vibrant ecosystems by strategically placing flora and fauna cards. Explore multiple game modes, unlock natural wonders, and enjoy a serene soundtrack and charming visuals in this offline digital escape.

Highlights
  • Build living biomes
  • Match flora and fauna synergies
  • Multiple gameplay modes
  • Unlock natural wonders
  • Soothing visuals
  • Relaxing soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Preserve: Complete Edition features all content released to date. No ads, no in-app purchases. Restore the wild. One tile at a time. Preserve is a peaceful puzzle game that lets you build entire ecosystems through clever placement of flora and fauna cards. Whether you're growing a forest, cultivating a wetland, or balancing food chains in a meadow, your decisions shape how each biome evolves. Enjoy multiple game modes tailored to your mood—complete challenges in Puzzle mode, build freely in Creative, or find balance in classic mode. With its serene soundtrack, charming visuals, and relaxing yet rewarding gameplay loop, Preserve is a unique digital escape for the minds. - Grow living biomes by matching flora and fauna synergies - Multiple gameplay modes: Puzzle, Classic and Creative - Unlock natural wonders and discover secret patterns - Soothing visuals and relaxing soundtrack - Fully offline, no ads. Relax. Reconnect. Rewild the world.

Screenshots

Hive® Game4 screens
Preserve4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hive® Game at 63% against Preserve's 12%. Hive® Game also leads on price (Free vs $7.99) and rating (4.5 vs 3.8). Preserve's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#65 vs unranked). On 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; Preserve costs $7.99 up front. Hive® Game sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Preserve asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hive® Game holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hive® Game has 314 ratings behind it against 5, 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 12% of Preserve's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, Preserve every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Hive® Game versus Preserve: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHive® GamePreserve
PriceFree — better$7.99
Rating4.5 (314 ratings) — better3.8 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews63.3% of reviews — better11.6% of reviews
Number of ratings314 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#65 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB714 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiantStep Kft.Plug In Digital

Customer experience

Hive® Game

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

Preserve

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive11.6%
Neutral4.7%
Negative83.7%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hive® Game

One-time1
  • Elite Edition$9.99
None

Preserve

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hive® Game free?
Hive® Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Preserve free?
Preserve costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hive® Game or Preserve?
Hive® Game is rated higher. Hive® Game averages 4.5 out of 5 from 314 ratings, while Preserve averages 3.8 from 5 ratings.
Do Hive® Game or Preserve have ads?
Neither Hive® Game nor Preserve shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hive® Game or Preserve?
Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, and Preserve every 5 days. Most recently, Hive® Game was updated on October 30, 2026 and Preserve on November 1, 2026.

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