REVIEW - The Bears and the Bees

 

The Bears and the Bees
(2018)

Grandpabeck Games

Players - 2-5

Ages - 6 and up

Play time - 15-20 mins

Easy to Learn

"Come and Join the Hive"

Seeing the logo for GrandpaBeck on the side of any game always instills in me a sense of confidence that we are in for a treat and no where does that statement more aptly apply than 'The Bears and The Bees'. In this card/tile matching game, the rules are very simple - match up the cards in your hand to a relevant space on the hive until your hand is empty. Sounds simple? That is because it is!

As a father of a 4 year old, and a partner of a non-gaming other half, I am always on the lookout for unique games that are quirky enough to be different from the usual big-hitters on supermarket shelves, and yet have both a level of accessibility and a level of depth that suit everyone around our table. 'The Bears and The Bees' is one of the few games that I can confidently say hits all of those marks!

As you can see in the image above, the concept of the game involves laying tiles that match colours at any connecting point (with honey being universal and able to match with anything). The vast majority of your plays therefore are playing honeycomb cards in appropriate spaces as you whittle down your hand.

Also in the deck, are several other cards such as Drone's, Workers and the dreaded Bear. Each card has to played in the same way, with matching sides, but comes with abilities such as making your opponent draw a card. The titular bear himself is something that can have a big impact on the game, but not something you necessarily want in your hand. This is because the game is played over three rounds and you score 'points' for everything left in your hand when someone wins. The lower points the better. With the Bear being 15 points.....you certainly don't want to be meeting him too often.

Pictured above is our first game and as you can see, the game spreads out quite quickly and a large table space is certainly needed for this. Theoretically the game can end quite quickly if you are able to play all 7-9 of your cards straight off the bat, but chances are this is unlikely so the game develops into a battle of strategy.

And this is an area in which 'The Birds and The Bees' can come alive. Underneath the simple gameplay and appealing visuals is a game with a deep strategic element. Planning your plays in order to maximise the chances of your emptying your hand is key and knowing when to use the special cards is also vital. Indeed, with a bonus play awarded if you match on three sides, rather than the standard two, budling up combos is very satisfying indeed.

Overall, what we have with 'The Bird and The Bees' is a superb, quick and easy to learn game, that probably works best at 3-4 players but is still very fun at 2. The concept is easy for youngsters to understand and all that is really required is a bit of patience to work out where plays are possible.

I would highly recommended this a a fun game for all ages that is perfect for family get togethers or Xmas day shenanigans. 

8/10

Pros - Easy to Learn, Depth to gameplay, every game is different and varied

Cons - We want an expansion!

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