Hive® Game vs Riftwyrm
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
Riftwyrm
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Riftwyrm is a solo strategy card game about hunting dragons. Each game, you set out with a small hand of cards and fight your way across four lands toward a dragon's lair. Each turn you will create a spell using a combination of your cards to both travel the lands of The Torn Kingdom as well as to vanquish your foes. Each trial can lead to experience used to level up your cards. If you prepare well enough, you will grow strong. If you do not think ahead, you will be punished in your final battle. • Four dragons to hunt: Cindermaw, Thrallis, Glaciarch and Vesperath. Each requiring a different strategy. • Six difficulties. • Learn to Play: short guided lessons teach the game step by step. • Achievements to unlock, and a record of every game you play. • Plays offline. No ads. • Controller support. Quick to learn and hard to master: every game is shuffled differently, and every choice counts.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Riftwyrm at none against Hive® Game's 1. Riftwyrm also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 11 days). Hive® Game's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price 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
Both are free to download. Hive® Game sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Riftwyrm asks for nothing beyond the download.
Hive® Game ships an update every 11 days, Riftwyrm every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hive® Game | Riftwyrm |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (321 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 321 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 70 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | GiantStep Kft. | Victor Valentine |
In-app purchases
Hive® Game
- Elite Edition$9.99
Riftwyrm
No in-app purchases







