Apico is a beekeeping sim with Stardew Valley vibes

Yesterday was World Bee Day, a fact I know because I had to send my son to school in a yellow outfit by way of celebration. Another way to celebrate yesterday was, apparently, to release a video game. Apico, a beepkeeping sim about adventuring across a 2D world to collect, breed and conserve bees, is out now.

Here’s the launch trailer:

That looks delightful. I’m generally down for relaxing, 2D craft ’em ups anyway, but several instructable menu screens about bees just makes me more excited. Ollie had a good time with the demo of the game during last October’s Steam Next Fest:

After an introduction that gives off strong Stardew Valley vibes, you’re let loose in a very pretty – and startlingly large – map filled with trees to be chopped, people to meet and trade with, and bees to keep. You’re guided through the opening stages by a very comprehensive book of tutorials and starting quests that teach you how everything works, making for a remarkably frustration-free experience.

Ollie then became obsessed with how satisfying it was to cut down trees, however. That doesn’t sound like it would be good for the bees.

Apico features 30 new species of bees to discover via crossbreeding, the ability to repopulate lost species and release them to the wild, and, well, the ability to make and sell honey. Which also doesn’t sound good for the bees.

But Apico looks very cute, and the demo remains available via Steam. If you decide you enjoy looking after bees – or destroying their habitats and stealing their food – then the full game costs £15.49/€16.79/$20 from Steam, humble or itch.