Hive Ultimate

I got into hive with this version and tbh I'm delighted, super fun and quick and with very good depth, most of the people that I play this with love it immediately as well, definitely the version to get since the expansion pieces add so much, the board never looks the same and even if you feel like you're about to lose a comeback is always just behind the corner. It's pretty easy too, anybody can play, but avoid the expansion pieces in your first game or two.

One of the best abstract strategy games of the last 50 years. Easy, novel mechanics and deep. In this edition all expansions are included (Pillbug, Ladybug, Mosquito). This is the 'real' Hive, the complete game. Buy this and you'll be playing it for years and years.

Excellent game dynamics, easy to learn the rules and now complete with "needed" expansions for those that want to play competitively. Also, material used in pieces is excellent from a durability and design perspective.

I don't have that specific edition, I own the pocket edition with all the expansions. The game is 1000% more fun, especially for the Caterpillar. I always take it with me on vacation, to restaurants, or bars. I don't always take it out, but if you want to play, it's there.

This is a fantastic game, similar to chess in that it is an abstract, piece-manipulation strategy game about board control and attacking an opponent's queen (the equivalent of the king in chess). I personally enjoy this far more than chess however, due to the variable setup (I hate how over-analysed and openings-driven chess has become). Having an ever-changing board ensures that no two games ever feel alike. The base game is already fairly deep, but the expansions really add massive replayability and expand the decision space significantly. I would definitely recommend starting without the expansion pieces, and only adding them in one at a time once you become familiar with the base game.