Welcome to the Hive: Unboxing Hive Mind by Calliope Games

I opened the box and was greeted by bees. Not real ones, of course, but a swarm of cheerful illustrations, punch board pawns, and cards just brimming with quirky personality. Hive Mind from Calliope Games had arrived, and I could already feel the buzz of potential game nights to come.

Inside the box was a thick stack of question cards, each one a little prompt waiting to unlock our shared imaginations. The rulebook was short, friendly, and sprinkled with honeycomb designs. The player tokens are colorful little bees, each with its own slot in the central hive board. It’s clever and inviting, a little whimsical, and it immediately made me want to gather friends around the table.

I set it up with three players to try it out, though it can handle a much bigger group. The best part? No tiny tokens to sort, no hour-long rule reading, and no fussy components. It was ready to go in minutes, and so were we. This game came with pencils!

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Hive Mind is a light party game designed by Richard Garfield. The name might sound scientific, but the game is all about fun and connection. Players are part of a hive and must answer open-ended questions. The twist? You want your answers to match others in the group. This is not a trivia game or a test of cleverness. It’s a celebration of common thoughts, funny overlaps, and the joy of discovering that someone else thinks just like you do. Here are a couple of cards.

You write down your answers and then compare them. The more matches you have with other players, the more points you get. Think like the group, and you stay in the hive. Think too differently, and you might get nudged closer to the exit.

Hive Mind is the kind of game that creates stories. It’s not about winning. It’s about realizing three people said “marshmallow” for favorite camping snack and laughing together about it. It’s about wondering how someone thought “cheese grater” belonged in a toolbox. The scoring is almost beside the point. What matters is the feeling of the group slowly syncing up and revealing their thoughts in tiny bursts of shared ideas.

The Hive Mind board looks like a honeycomb hive, with a spiraling path of numbered spaces that represent your spot in the hive. Each player starts at the top and moves downward as rounds go by. How far you move depends on the die roll and how well your answers match with the rest of the group. Fall too far and you’re out of the hive.

This game works beautifully with families, friend groups, classrooms, or even new coworkers. It welcomes everyone, no deep strategy or insider knowledge required. You’ll get to know each other better, faster, and funnier than most icebreakers could ever dream. If you’re looking for something new to bring to a gathering, especially one with mixed ages or new faces, this is the one to try. It’s simple, warm, and often hilarious.

While I used an older version of the game, if interested in purchasing the newer version, consider using the affiliate link: https://amzn.to/48kw8GD