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Friday 8 Aug, 2025
From Chess to Hive: The Evolution of Strategy Board Games
Speaker Francesco Salerno
Game design, like all human activities, does not exist in isolation, it is shaped by historical, cultural, and technological influences. Over the centuries, games evolve alongside populations and societies. Chess, one of the most influential games in history, served as inspiration for the design of Hive, an abstract game of the modern era created 25 years ago. Hive is played without a board, with hexagonal pieces, but the affinities with Chess are striking. This talk explores similarities and differences between these two games, highlighting how variations in design and rules shape strategy principles and create different gameplay experiences. We will also consider how each game occupies a different 'ludological niche' and the impact of artificial intelligence.
Game design, like all human activities, does not exist in isolation, it is shaped by historical, cultural, and technological influences. Over the centuries, games evolve alongside populations and societies. Chess, one of the most influential games in history, served as inspiration for the design of Hive, an abstract game of the modern era created 25 years ago. Hive is played without a board, with hexagonal pieces, but the affinities with Chess are striking. This talk explores similarities and differences between these two games, highlighting how variations in design and rules shape strategy principles and create different gameplay experiences. We will also consider how each game occupies a different 'ludological niche' and the impact of artificial intelligence.
