Hive Jump Free Download [2023]

 Hive Jump Introduction:

Hive, a tabletop abstract strategy game with a bug theme, was created by John Yianni and published by Gen42 Games in 2001. The primary goal in Hive is to capture your opponent's queen bee by completely encircling it with pieces from either player while safeguarding your own queen from capture. Combining elements from tile-based and board games, Hive sets itself apart by allowing tiles to be moved after placement, similar to chess pieces.

The game employs hexagonal tiles to represent the hive's contents. While the original editions used wooden tiles with colorful illustrations and stickers, the current third edition features black and almond phenolic resin ("Bakelite") tiles with single-color etchings.

Gameplay:

Additionally, the game is designed for portability, coming with a travel bag (a black drawstring bag in older editions and a nylon zippered case in the current version). With durable tiles and no need for a board, Hive is marketed as a "go-anywhere" game requiring only a relatively flat surface.

In 2011, a "Carbon" edition of Hive was introduced, featuring a monochrome design with black creatures on white pieces and white creatures on black pieces. This set includes tiles for the Mosquito and Ladybug expansions.

In 2012, a more affordable "Pocket" edition of Hive was released. It includes smaller versions of the colored Bakelite tiles and also features the Mosquito and Ladybug expansions. The game is packaged with an orange drawstring bag for storage.

The game begins with an empty layout, allowing both players to arrange their pieces as they prefer. Concealing unplaced pieces offers little advantage, as both players have full knowledge of the game state. The official rules do not specify a starting player color, allowing either white (similar to chess) or black (similar to Go) to take the first turn, with the option to alternate between games without swapping pieces.

During their turn, a player can either place a new piece from their supply or, once their Queen Bee is on the board, move a piece based on its function. When placing a new piece, it must be adjacent only to the player's pieces and cannot touch the opponent's pieces. The first piece played by each player has special rules, requiring the second player's piece to be adjacent to the first player's piece (known as the "one hive rule").

After the Queen Bee is placed, players have more flexibility in placing and moving pieces as the hive grows. The strategic approach typically involves waiting to place stronger tiles until they have a better chance of not being immediately surrounded.

The Queen Bee must be placed within the first four turns, though it's often advantageous to do so earlier to enable other piece movements. To prevent drawn games, tournament rules (but not official Hive rules) prohibit placing the Queen Bee on the first turn.

Final Words:

Piece movement in Hive is guided by the hexagonal shape of the tiles. Pieces must be positioned so that one face of a tile touches the face of an adjacent tile, and a "space" move corresponds to shifting to an adjacent hexagonal area. The game lacks a physical board but can be envisioned as played on an infinite plane of tessellated hexagons.

A crucial rule in Hive is the "One-Hive Rule," which forbids moving a piece in a way that creates two separate groups of pieces during or after the move. Even if the layout remains connected, a move is illegal if it disconnects the hive while a piece is in transit. This rule allows for strategic trapping of opposing pieces by moving one's own piece to isolate the opponent's piece, rendering it immobile.

There are two exceptions to the movement rules, both related to the circumference of the pieces and the "Freedom to Move Rule," which prohibits moving into or out of a hex that is almost or completely surrounded.