The Hive

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 209 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Hive Game Cover
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"The Hive" is a single-player RTS/RPG game where you control an insectoid hive mind, exploring a vast ruined underworld filled with dangers and lost civilizations. Build your own nest, defeat ancient creatures, and unlock new units and abilities by dissolving enemy DNA. Experience an epic story across 10 levels and 10-12 hours of gameplay, with a serene yet perilous world awaiting.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 209 reviews
story37 positive mentions
stability9 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique concept of controlling a hive-mind of insectoid creatures, which adds an interesting twist to the RTS genre.
  • The graphics and art design are visually appealing, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • The game has a decent level of replayability with the ability to collect items and upgrade units, providing a sense of progression.
  • The story is often confusing and lacks coherence, making it difficult for players to engage with the narrative.
  • The gameplay can feel repetitive and simplistic, with limited strategic depth and a lack of diverse unit options.
  • The game is plagued by bugs and technical issues, including crashes and unresponsive controls, which detract from the overall experience.
  • story195 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it confusing, disjointed, and lacking coherence. While some appreciate the unique premise and potential for deeper lore, others criticize it for being poorly presented and failing to engage, often feeling like a collection of repetitive missions with little narrative connection. Overall, the story is seen as a significant drawback, with many hoping for improvements in future updates.

    • “The story behind the game was very well thought out and it is beautifully presented to us, giving us a captivating story to experience spread out over several levels.”
    • “The game has a super unique story and universe.”
    • “Overall, for all its shortcomings, this is still a good game that stands out as a unique piece in the genre; I've really enjoyed playing it and would recommend it if you like strategy games and a good story.”
    • “The twists and plots and turns and story beats and even some world building are there but mashed into an incoherent fever dream.”
    • “The story seems unfinished, convoluted, and just kinda blah.”
    • “The story did little to help me care about my faction or any of their characters.”
  • gameplay88 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized as a blend of traditional RTS mechanics with some RPG elements, but it lacks innovation and depth, leading to a repetitive experience. While the core mechanics are functional and the atmosphere is appealing, many players find the gameplay clunky, poorly explained, and lacking in variety, resulting in a sense of missed potential. Overall, the game offers a straightforward but underwhelming experience, with significant room for improvement in mechanics and engagement.

    • “The gameplay is actually really nice, and the atmosphere is perfect for a game like this.”
    • “8/10, gameplay is fun and units all have some form of synergy with others, and items are useful but not required.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics here are truly amazing and if some more time is invested to enhance it and give it more replay value it will grow into an amazing game.”
    • “The gameplay is exactly what you expect from a typical RTS, with some pretty nature scenes and water simulations, but nothing truly new, and nothing exciting.”
    • “Gameplay felt clunky and unpolished.”
    • “The overall gameplay is lacking.”
  • graphics53 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and visual design as appealing and immersive, while others criticize the animations and overall graphical quality as lacking polish. Some players appreciate the smooth performance and unique aesthetic reminiscent of classic RTS games, but note that the visuals can feel outdated or incomplete. Overall, the graphics are generally considered decent, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite some technical issues.

    • “The artwork is amazing.”
    • “The graphics and voice acting are great, the existing units and enemies got a beautiful design and the first two maps were nice to play.”
    • “The art-work, graphics and soundtrack are gorgeous, the voice acting being the icing on the cake.”
    • “I didn't have much time to play this game to review its gameplay properly, but I was disappointed by the lack of actual effort in most of the game's animations and visuals.”
    • “The graphics continue a feeling of incompleteness, like a college project or a game still focusing on the mechanics and not the graphics.”
    • “There are also a very limited set of enemies to face, there's basically no soundtrack, and let's not forget the graphics remind me of Age of Mythology or, if we want to be very generous, Warcraft 3 - it's not ugly, in fact the units are visually well-designed all things considered, it just looks like an RTS from the early 2000s.”
  • music13 mentions

    The music in "The Hive" is generally praised for enhancing the immersive atmosphere, with some reviewers highlighting its tribal quality and ability to complement the game's visuals. However, there are criticisms regarding the repetitiveness of the soundtrack and technical issues, such as skipping during intense moments. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, it is marred by inconsistencies and a limited variety.

    • “The background music adds to the overall quality that the game offers; it builds the atmosphere and keeps it right there as the climax is reached.”
    • “It has great visuals and art design which is adorned with good music.”
    • “Great music, very tribal, and gives you a sense that you're in a primordial ecosystem.”
    • “The music on the final boss was skipping pretty severely, especially when your own units were giving their response sounds, and cut out entirely at some point.”
    • “There are also a very limited set of enemies to face, there's basically no soundtrack, and let's not forget the graphics remind me of Age of Mythology or, if we want to be very generous, Warcraft 3 - it's not ugly, in fact the units are visually well-designed all things considered, it just looks like an RTS from the early 2000s.”
    • “Sound: music is repetitive, but the ambient sounds are perfect for the environment.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by impressive graphics, a captivating soundtrack, and effective sound effects. Players appreciate the unique and alien setting, which contributes to an engaging experience, although some note that technical issues can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that significantly enhances the gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is actually really nice, and the atmosphere is perfect for a game like this.”
    • “"The Hive" is a fun RTS with a unique setting and an immersive atmosphere created by graphics, soundtrack, and sound effects.”
    • “I enjoyed the atmosphere, but the game is technically lacking due to occasional bugs and balance issues.”
    • “The game world is really interesting and will captivate you with its alien atmosphere.”
    • “And the main thing here is atmosphere.”
  • stability11 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches in animations and sound, and problematic AI behavior. Players report significant gameplay interruptions, such as freezing and issues with mission loading, which detract from the overall experience. While some enjoy the game despite these flaws, the consensus highlights that its stability is a major drawback.

    • “Good game, love it! No glitches; I would definitely recommend it.”
    • “The game is very buggy, with simple gameplay and doesn't really have a story worth writing about.”
    • “Biggest drawback is it's a bit buggy; the biggest bug I found is when you run a mission, don't 'load' from a save, select from continue, and start from the beginning of that mission.”
    • “The game is very buggy (enemies shooting through walls, phasing through walls, clipping animations), the AI is objectively terrible (just sends their forces straight at you with no tactics and doesn't know how to move or fight in any way, often breaking and following you all the way back to base).”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Overall, the game currently suffers from minimal replayability, with many users noting a lack of multiplayer options and limited content to encourage multiple playthroughs. While some achievements may provide a reason to revisit the game, the absence of diverse gameplay modes and significant bugs detracts from the overall experience. Players express hope for future updates to enhance replay value and overall enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay mechanics here are truly amazing, and if some more time is invested to enhance it and give it more replay value, it will grow into an amazing game.”
    • “Unfortunately, at this stage, the game does not offer much in terms of replay value; however, the game does have achievements that require a bit of a grind and there are difficulty-based achievements that will require more than one playthrough, so there is that at least.”
    • “Really looking forward to the development of this game as it looks to have a high replayability.”
    • “The hive is an RTS which does not offer any replayability, and its polish is as clear as mud.”
    • “The game itself is fine, the models and sounds are great, but the lack of replayability and the glaring amount of bugs makes it barely enjoyable.”
    • “The one major flaw of this game is its lack of replayability.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is often seen as tedious and frustrating, with players noting repetitive tasks and clunky controls that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the loot system for its potential to differentiate gameplay, the overall sentiment suggests that the grinding mechanics could benefit from refinement to enhance enjoyment.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The puzzle systems feel shoehorned in with little thought, which is a shame because one can see the idea the developers were trying to make and if executed better, would have been enjoyable instead of tedious.”
    • “Finding the correct way to unlock map scripting to allow progression felt like tedious trial and error guesswork.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is often unintentional, with players finding amusement in graphical glitches, repetitive textures, and bizarre visual effects during gameplay. While some moments are genuinely funny, much of the laughter stems from the game's quirks and oddities rather than intentional comedic elements.

    • “I won't say I didn't have fun, but some of it was laughing at the game—like noticing that the same texture is used, often very stretched out, on any surface that's supposed to be natural rock. In the final level, there's a sequence where you use your workers to tunnel, and the blocks do very strange things visually based on how you clear them out, or the... uh... new unit you get midway through the game.”
    • “The humor in this game is surprisingly clever, with witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions that kept me chuckling throughout my playthrough.”
    • “I found myself laughing out loud at the absurd situations the characters found themselves in, making the gameplay experience not just entertaining but also genuinely funny.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's appealing artwork and report that it runs smoothly, indicating effective optimization.

    • “The artwork is nice and the game runs smoothly.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is highlighted for its high-quality design, indicating a strong emphasis on creating well-crafted and visually appealing characters.

    • “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form a genuine connection with each character.”
    • “Each character evolves throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The choices you make significantly impact character growth, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.”
    • “Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
    • “The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the story.”
    • “There is little to no backstory provided, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

8hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
1-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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