Hive: Pillbug (multiple)

The Pillbug is the official expansion that spices up your games of Hive, the abstract game that has won over fans of pure strategic thinking around the world. This new piece moves one space at a time, just like the queen bee, but it hides a special ability all its own: instead of moving, it can lift an adjacent piece, friend or foe, up onto itself, then set it back down into an empty neighbouring space. No piece is ever removed from the game: the Pillbug simply reshapes the hive as it sees fit.

This surgical manoeuvre completely changes how you read the improvised board formed by the stacked tiles. It lets you clear a blocked path, bring a key piece closer to the enemy queen, or neutralize an overconfident opponent, all while respecting Hive's core rules: one hive, always, and freedom of movement to protect on every turn. Just as fearsome on offense as on defense, the Pillbug forces both players to rethink their habits and look at the game from a whole new angle.

The Pillbug is for you if you already know the base rules of Hive and are looking to add a bit more strategic depth to your duels. Players who love planning several moves ahead and who enjoy board games where every decision matters will find in this piece a remarkably versatile new tactical tool.

Released by Gen42 in 2013, this expansion carved out a place among the most beloved special pieces in the Hive universe, alongside the Ladybug and the Mosquito. On BoardGameGeek, over 3000 fans rate it with an average score above 7.7 out of 10, a number that speaks to its reputation among competitive abstract game players.

This piece carries the signature of John Yianni, the original creator of Hive, who has kept refining his cult classic one expansion at a time since 2001.

This expansion is not a stand-alone game: it requires a copy of the base Hive game to be used.

BOX CONTENTS
2 Pillbug tiles (1 black, 1 white)

Number of players: 2
Duration: 20 minutes
Age: 9+