In a far-distant future, humans no longer inhabit Earth. The cause of their disappearance (or perhaps their demise) is unknown, but their absence left a void ready to be filled by another sentient species.
Over the span of untold generations, one species of the humble honeybee evolved to fill that void. They grew in size and intelligence to become a highly advanced society. They call themselves Mellifera, and they have made substantial technological advances in addition to the technology they adapted from human ruins, up to and including space travel.
In Apiary, each player controls one of twenty unique factions. Your faction starts the game with a hive, a few resources, and worker bees. A worker-placement, hive-building challenge awaits you: explore planets, gather resources, develop technologies, and create carvings to demonstrate your faction's strengths (measured in victory points) over one year's Flow. However, the Dearth quickly approaches, and your workers can take only a few actions before they must hibernate! Can you thrive or merely survive?
Components
1 multiplayer rulebook, 1 Automa solo rulebook, 1 appendix, 1 teaching guide, and 5 player aids
1 double-sided game board (for 1-3 players and 4-5 players; 650x560mm)
5 asymmetric hive mats (280x230mm) and 20 asymmetric faction tiles (randomize your pairing using this optional web app)
59 cards (57x87mm; 45 seed cards and 14 Automa cards)
1 insert (designed to hold sleeved cards) and 1 easy-setup resource tray
5 docking mats
15 frames
20 workers (four per player)
1 QueenShip miniature
40 farm tiles
30 carving tiles
30 recruit tiles
29 development tiles
20 faction tiles
15 planet tiles
5 dance tiles
15 player tokens (three per player)
35 hibernation tokens (seven per player)
25 fiber tokens
25 pollen tokens
25 water tokens
20 explore tokens
15 wax tokens
12 honey tokens
9 dance tokens
Apiary set up for the full 5 players takes up around 99x80cm on the table.
1–5 Players
60–90 Min Playing Time
Age: 14+
It may not be possible to ship very heavy items outside of the Mainland UK.
Released: 14 November 2023
