Hero of the Hive Announced for Steam

As many people know, Bees (specifically honeybees) are vital for a variety of ecosystems and purposes. A few developers have already taken on the challenge of reminding people of this fact through gaming, including games like Apico. Now, a new game is joining that list, though it’s a little more casual.

Mighty Beaver Studio has revealed its first game, called Hero of the Hive. It is set to release on Steam later this year and is a casual adventure game. Here is what the press release says about Hero of the Hive:

“Hero of the Hive is a casual open-world adventure game. When the hive’s Queen Bee goes missing, it’s up to you–a lone worker bee–to save the struggling hive. Without the Queen to guide the colony, the hive has fallen into disrepair, and the local wildlife needs your help.

Begin your journey across Hero of the Hive’s colorful world as you gather resources to rebuild your home, assist other animals along your quest, and brave new ecosystems to uncover the hidden secrets of the Aurora Basin. It’s time to become the hero your hive needs!

With the Queen missing, you must venture out into the vast Aurora Basin in search of vital resources for your colony. Collect the staples–including pollen, nectar, and propolis–to support your bee’s needs. Along the way, you may uncover unique collectibles to diversify your hive even more! Rare flowers yield different upgrades and opportunities to expand the hive, and hidden Nature Notes provide details on the world’s different biomes and snippets of the game’s lore.

The Aurora Basin boasts three different biomes, each with its own flora and fauna varieties. Begin your journey in the basin’s vast meadow before venturing beyond into the lush mountains and barren desert. Along the way, help the local wildlife by resolving disputes, finding lost items, and assisting with small projects. There are eight species to help, each with unique characteristics and fun dialogue!

Exploring the Aurora Basin and collecting valuable resources is vital to rebuilding your hive. In the Queen’s absence, the colony has fallen into disrepair, and many bees have fled the hive. Encouraging their return means repairing their home and reopening businesses to cater to their needs. Ten rooms are scattered throughout the space to rebuild and redesign.

Use your collected resources to return these spaces to their former glory, allowing new businesses to thrive and creating places for new bees to call home. Completing missions and repairing the hive also unlocks options to customize your bee in vibrant colors or fun hats. Dress up your bee to stand out from the crowd as new members pour in. To celebrate a job well done, host a dance party on your improved dancefloor and show off your moves!”

I’m always interested in games that have a fun gameplay loop along with a deeper meaning. Playing as a cute bee will be a blast, especially while repairing the hive. Plus, for younger players, it’ll give them a small lesson (if fictionalized) in how vital bees are. We don’t have a full release date for Hero of the Hive yet, but we’ll keep our eye out for more information.