It’s sting or be stung in Hive, a slick digital adaptation of the acclaimed tabletop game. Command an army of ants, grasshoppers, and other creepy-crawlies as you try to surround your opponent’s queen bee before they do the same to you. Each hexagonal tile you play creates the game board on the fly—and tiles move according to each critter’s rules (grasshoppers leap in a straight line over other pieces, for instance). Outmaneuver your foe to take over the hive!

What we love: How any bug can be a game changer. Spring traps from a distance with ants. Lock down tiles with slow-moving beetles. The rules are simple, but the depth is impressive.

Quick tip: Queen bees can move one space to evade your advancing forces, but parking a beetle on your opponent’s queen will prevent it from escaping.

Meet the creator: Budapest-based GiantStep used their algorithm-crafting chops to build Hive’s AI opponent, RustyBlade—it can be forgiving or ruthless, depending on your settings. The original 2001 tabletop game was designed by John Yianni, who’s featured in a (highly recommended) video tutorial found in the game’s rules menu.