Comparison

Five Elements Chess vs Hive® Game

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Five Elements Chess

Engage in strategic spell-duels with this match-three game inspired by Five Elements theory. Enjoy a calm, Zen-like visual style with a blend of strategy and luck. Compete locally or online against other players.

Highlights
  • Five Elements theory integration
  • Match-three gameplay
  • Deep strategy
  • Zen-inspired visuals
  • Local and online PvP
Features
Read full description

Five Elements Chess is a spell-duel game that combines the Five Elements theory and match-three gameplay. Features • Simple rules, deep strategy • Calm, Zen-inspired visual style • A balance of strategy and luck that anyone can enjoy • Local and online PvP

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

Screenshots

Five Elements Chess4 screens
Hive® Game4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Five Elements Chess at 100% against Hive® Game's 65%. Five Elements Chess also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 11 days) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Hive® Game's advantage is ratings volume (280 vs 74). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Five Elements Chess sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Hive® Game sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Five Elements Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 74 and 280 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Five Elements Chess's written reviews are positive against 65% of Hive® Game's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Five Elements Chess ships an update daily, Hive® Game every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Five Elements Chess versus Hive® Game: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFive Elements ChessHive® Game
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (74 ratings) — better4.5 (280 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better64.6% of reviews
Number of ratings74280 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 11 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.615.6
Further details — not scored
Size280 MB11 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperBeijing Jiao Dian Chuang Yi digital technology Co.,Ltd.GiantStep Kft.

Customer experience

Five Elements Chess

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Hive® Game

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

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Five Elements Chess

One-time3
  • Time Skin Pack$1.99
  • Five Elements Chess full game$3.99
  • Seasons Skin Pack$3.99
1 purchases

Hive® Game

One-time1
  • Elite Edition$9.99

Questions

Is Five Elements Chess free?
Five Elements Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hive® Game free?
Hive® Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Five Elements Chess or Hive® Game?
Five Elements Chess is rated higher. Five Elements Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Hive® Game averages 4.5 from 280 ratings.
Do Five Elements Chess or Hive® Game have ads?
Neither Five Elements Chess nor Hive® Game shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Five Elements Chess or Hive® Game?
Five Elements Chess ships an update daily, and Hive® Game every 11 days. Most recently, Five Elements Chess was updated on October 11, 2026 and Hive® Game on October 12, 2026.

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