Apiary

2023

Embark on an interstellar journey in Apiary, where you lead evolved bee factions, explore planets, gather resources, and advance technologies to outshine rivals.

90
minutes

1 - 5
player(s)

14+

Medium

About the game

Welcome to the captivating world of ‘Apiary’, a charming board game that invites you to step into the shoes of an ambitious beekeeper. The game is set in the picturesque countryside, where lush meadows and flowering plants provide an idyllic landscape for your apiary.

The primary theme of ‘Apiary’ revolves around beekeeping and honey production. The game beautifully encapsulates the life of a beekeeper, providing a perfect blend of strategy, risk-taking, and resource management. It offers an immersive experience of nurturing your bees, collecting honey, and managing your apiary to generate the most profit.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The board game ‘Apiary’ includes several components that each play a crucial role in the game. Each component has a specific purpose and interacts with the game and players in unique ways. Here is a detailed description of each component:

1. Game Board:

The game board is the main component of ‘Apiary’. It depicts an apiary with various sections for honey collection, beekeeping, and hive building. The board has designated spaces for the deck of cards, discard pile, and each player’s hive. The game board is where all the action takes place and it serves as the visual representation of the game progress.

2. Bee Cards:

The Bee cards represent different types of bees each with their own abilities. Players use these cards to perform various actions such as collecting honey, building hives, and defending against threats. The bee cards are drawn from the deck and used strategically by the players during their turns.

3. Hive Tiles:

The Hive tiles are used to build the player’s hive. Each tile represents a section of the hive and has different attributes and capacities for honey storage. The arrangement and selection of hive tiles can greatly impact a player’s score at the end of the game.

4. Honey Tokens:

Honey Tokens represent the honey collected by the players. These tokens are earned by using Bee cards and are stored in the player’s hive. The player with the most honey tokens at the end of the game is declared the winner.

5. Threat Cards:

The Threat cards represent various natural threats to the apiary such as diseases, pests, and weather conditions. These cards add an element of uncertainty and challenge to the game. When drawn, players must deal with the threat using their Bee cards or risk losing honey tokens or hive tiles.

6. Action Markers:

Action markers are used to track the actions taken by each player during their turn. Each player has a set number of action markers and can only perform as many actions as they have markers. These markers are reset at the start of each turn.

7. Rulebook:

The rulebook provides detailed instructions on how to play ‘Apiary’. It includes the rules for setup, gameplay, and scoring, as well as explanations of the different components and their use. The rulebook is essential for players to understand and enjoy the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Setting up the game ‘Apiary’ involves several steps, including defining player roles, placing the board, distributing initial resources, and incorporating random elements. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Define Player Roles

Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding Beekeeper token.
Players will be acting as Beekeepers, aiming to cultivate the most successful apiary.

Step 2: Board Placement

Place the main game board in the center of the playing area.
Each player places their Beekeeper token on the starting space of the Score Track around the edge of the game board.
Place the Honey Pot tokens in a pile next to the game board.
Place the Flower cards in a deck next to the game board, leaving room for a discard pile.

Step 3: Distribute Initial Resources

Each player receives a starting hand of 5 Flower cards from the Flower deck.
Each player also receives 1 Honey Pot token from the pile.

Step 4: Incorporate Random Elements

Shuffle the Bee cards and place them in a deck next to the game board.
Reveal the top 3 cards of the Bee deck and place them in the available Bee spaces on the game board.
Shuffle the Event cards and place them in a deck next to the game board. Reveal the top card and place it in the Event space.

Once all of these steps have been completed, you are ready to start playing ‘Apiary’!

Game flow Round and round we go

The board game ‘Apiary’ is a strategy game designed for 2 to 4 players. The game revolves around the theme of beekeeping and each player must manage their own beehive with the goal of maximizing honey production.

Game Setup:

Each player receives a Hive board and a set of 12 bees in their chosen color.
All the Honeycomb tiles are shuffled and set in a draw pile.
Each player starts with 2 Honeycomb tiles on their Hive board, placed in any configuration.
The youngest player goes first.

Gameplay: The game proceeds in a series of rounds, each of which is divided into two phases – the Worker Placement Phase and the Honey Production Phase.

Phase 1: Worker Placement Phase:

Starting with the first player, each player places one of their bees onto a free Honeycomb tile on their Hive board. Bees can only be placed on empty tiles.
This continues in clockwise order until all players have placed all their bees.

Phase 2: Honey Production Phase:

Starting with the first player, each player calculates the amount of honey produced by their bees. Each bee produces 1 Honey per adjacent bee (including diagonally).
Players collect Honey tokens equal to the total amount of honey produced.
Players then have the opportunity to spend their Honey tokens to purchase additional Honeycomb tiles from the draw pile, adding them to their Hive board.

After the Honey Production Phase, a new round begins with the Worker Placement Phase. The game continues in this manner until the draw pile is exhausted.

End of the Game: The game ends when the last Honeycomb tile is drawn from the pile. Players calculate their final honey production and the player with the most honey is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

The board game ‘Apiary’ is a strategic game about beekeeping. During a player’s turn in ‘Apiary’, they can perform several actions, each with their own potential effects on the game’s outcome. Here is a detailed breakdown:

1. Deploy Worker Bees:

A player can choose to deploy their worker bees on any of the available tiles on the board. The strategic choice here is deciding which tiles are most beneficial based on their current needs and future plans.

Flower Tiles: Deploying worker bees on flower tiles allows players to collect nectar, which is necessary for producing honey.
Queen Tile: Placing a worker bee on the queen tile can increase a player’s bee population, allowing them to perform more actions in the future.
Market Tile: This tile allows players to sell the honey they have produced for coins, which can be used for various purposes such as buying equipment or hiring more bees.

2. Harvest Nectar:

Once a player’s bees are deployed on a flower tile, they can choose to harvest nectar. The amount of nectar harvested depends on the number of bees on the tile and the type of flower. Harvesting nectar is a strategic choice that balances the immediate need for resources with the ongoing productivity of the bees. Over-harvesting can lead to fewer resources in the future.

3. Produce Honey:

A player can decide to turn their harvested nectar into honey. This is a necessary step for earning coins in the market, but it requires time and resources, as a player needs to have enough worker bees in their hive and the necessary equipment to process the nectar.

4. Sell Honey:

If a player has produced honey, they can choose to sell it at the market. The strategic choice here is deciding the best time to sell, as market prices can fluctuate based on supply and demand. Selling at the right time can earn a player a significant number of coins, which can be reinvested into their apiary.

5. Expand Apiary:

A player can use their coins to expand their apiary by buying more hives, purchasing equipment, or hiring more bees. This is a strategic long-term investment that can potentially boost a player’s productivity and increase their chances of winning the game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Apiary’ concludes when either of the two conditions are met:

All tiles from the draw pile have been exhausted and no player can make a legal move.
A player has successfully filled their entire 5×5 grid layout with appropriate tiles.

Victory Conditions:

The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner. Points are accumulated based on the placement of tiles and the formation of patterns within the grid. Here’s how the scoring works:

Flower tiles: Flower tiles award points based on adjacent bee tiles. Each bee tile next to a flower tile scores 1 point.
Bee tiles: Bee tiles do not score points but are essential for scoring points from flower tiles.
Special tiles: Some tiles have special abilities that can provide additional points or advantages during the game.

Final Actions Before Scoring:

Before final scoring, each player should ensure that they have adhered to the following:

Check all tile placements: Verify that all tiles placed on the grid are legal moves, i.e., they are adjacent to at least one other tile and do not violate the grid layout.
Count remaining tiles: Although unused tiles do not contribute to your final score, they can be used as tie-breakers. In the event of a tie, the player with the fewest unused tiles wins.

After these actions have been taken, players can proceed to count their points and declare the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

‘Apiary’ is a strategic board game where players compete to build the most productive bee hive. There are various ways to earn points in the game, and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Here’s a full breakdown of the scoring system:

1. Honey Production:

Honeycombs: At the end of the game, players earn 1 point for each honeycomb in their hive.
Honey Jars: For each filled honey jar, players earn 3 points. An empty jar does not award any points.

2. Bee Population:

Worker Bees: Each worker bee in the hive scores 2 points.
Drone Bees: Each drone bee scores 1 point.
Queen Bee: The queen bee scores 5 points.

3. Beehive Structure:

Complete Cells: A complete cell (a cell surrounded by six other cells) scores 4 points.
Edge Cells: Each cell on the edge of the hive scores 1 point.

4. Special Tiles:

Flower Tiles: Each flower tile in the hive scores 2 points.
Water Tiles: Each water tile scores 2 points.

In the event of a tie, the tie-breaking rules are as follows:

The player with the most filled honey jars wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most worker bees wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who placed the queen bee in their hive first wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The game of ‘Apiary’ is quite straightforward, but there are some special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that might be of importance to players. Here are some guidelines to help you navigate through the game:

1. The Queen Bee Movement:

Normally, bees are allowed to move one space at a time. However, the Queen Bee is an exception. On your turn, if you choose to move the Queen Bee, she can move up to two spaces, but she cannot move into a space that is already occupied by another bee.

2. Pollination Phase:

The Pollination phase may only begin if the Queen Bee is on a flower tile. If the Queen Bee starts the turn on a non-flower tile, even if she moves onto a flower tile that turn, the Pollination phase cannot begin until the start of the next turn.

3. The Worker Bee Exception:

Worker bees are the only bees that can carry pollen. If a worker bee starts its turn on a flower tile, it automatically collects pollen. However, a worker bee may only carry one pollen at a time. If a worker bee carrying pollen lands on the same flower tile again, it cannot collect more pollen until it has delivered its current pollen to the hive.

4. The Bear:

The bear is a unique game element that moves after all players have taken their turn. The bear moves one tile towards the nearest bee. If the bear enters a tile with a bee, that bee is forced to move back to the hive and loses any pollen it was carrying. If the bear enters a tile with the Queen Bee, the game is over and must be restarted.

5. The Flower Blooming Rule:

Flowers only bloom (i.e., become available for pollination) if they are not adjacent to any other flower tiles. This means a flower tile surrounded by other flower tiles cannot be bloomed.

6. The Hive Expansion Rule:

The hive can only be expanded by worker bees, and only if they are not carrying any pollen. The Queen Bee cannot expand the hive.

Keeping these rules and clarifications in mind will ensure a smooth game of ‘Apiary’ and add a layer of strategic depth to your gameplay.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies

Expand Your Apiary Gradually: Rather than rushing to expand your apiary, take time to build it gradually. This allows you to focus on maximizing the efficiency of each hive before adding more, thus leading to a more productive apiary.
Focus on Worker Bees: Worker bees are the backbone of your apiary. Focusing on these bees can significantly boost your productivity. Allocate resources to increase the number of worker bees in your hives.
Invest in Research: In the later stages of the game, investing in research can unlock powerful upgrades that can drastically increase your apiary’s output.

Beginner Tips

Understand the Basics: Spend some time understanding the basic mechanics of the game. This includes knowing how to add bees to your hive, how to collect honey, and how to use your resources effectively.
Start Small: As a beginner, start with a small apiary and gradually add more hives as you become more comfortable with the game mechanics.
Follow the Tutorials: The in-game tutorials provide valuable guidance for beginners. Make sure to follow them closely to understand how to play the game effectively.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring Worker Bees: Worker bees are crucial for your apiary’s productivity. Ignoring these bees can lead to a significant drop in your honey production.
Spreading Resources Thinly: Trying to build too many hives at once can spread your resources too thin, leading to inefficiency. Focus on maximizing the efficiency of a few hives before expanding.
Rushing Through the Game: Apiary is a game that rewards patience and strategic planning. Rushing through the game can lead to mistakes and missed opportunities.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

Use Resources Wisely: Allocate your resources strategically. Invest in upgrades that will boost your productivity in the long run.
Plan Your Expansion: Have a clear plan for expanding your apiary. Know when to add more hives and when to focus on maximizing the efficiency of your current hives.
Monitor Your Bees: Regularly check on your bees to ensure they are healthy and productive. Replace any bees that are not performing well.