The Bears and the Bees

Whether you’re a board game enthusiast or an apiculturist, The Bears and the Bees will have you buzzing with delight! The Bears and the Bees is a quick to pick up and play strategy game where you are building a beehive. The hive starts with a queen bee and a single honeycomb, and each player plays honeycomb cards in their hand. The first player to play all their cards wins.

Each player gets 9 honeycomb shaped cards to start, and a queen bee card is placed in the center of the playing field, with a random empty honeycomb card placed at the queen bee's head. Each card has colors on each of its sides. The basic idea is to play your cards and match up the colors on the edges of the cards.

There are a few rules that can make play tricky: you can only play cards if they line up with 2 sides of the playfield and their colors match. Some cards have "honey" edges, which are a wild color and can match anything. There are also bear cards. Bear cards can only be played if one of their sides touches a "honey" side. No other cards can be played touching the bear card once it's on the field.

All in all, this game is a blast to play. It has quickly become an absolute staple at our family game nights. From the family table with players as young as 5 years to that seat at the edge of a hallway where you rest min-convention, this game is a hit.

The only downside I can find is that you have to be careful when playing your cards: the honey combs slide easily in a smooth surface. You can probably lay down a cloth or felt of some sort as a play surface and the cards should stay put better. I especially recommend this when playing with younger gamers.

This is definitely a great addition to your game library, though. From art to instructuons, the company that makes this game has done a fabulous job.