Bee Simulator: The Hive

The repetition and simple mission structure keep it from greatness, but the charm carries it farther than you’d expect.

Bee Simulator: The Hive is a solid journey into the life of a bee with a more relaxed and fun perspective rather than an aim for realism. In saying that, though, if it wanted to go down this route, it really needed a bit more to do in the gameplay aspect. Overall, though, it has such a great foundation to build upon, and I hope more fuzzies and buzzies are around the corner.

Bee Simulator: The Hive is a charming, family‑friendly expansion that refines the original game’s strengths—accessible flight, warm art direction, and gentle educational moments—while adding a satisfying hive‑building loop that gives players a clearer sense of progression.

Bee Simulator: The Hive builds on an already delightful foundation with new features that meaningfully expand its longevity. The flight feels great, the world is charming, and the hive-building mode offers just enough progression to keep you coming back for "one more run." Some repetitive missions, dated combat, and a conservative re-use of assets hold it back, but it's still a warm, generous, and surprisingly engaging adventure. Not many "simulator" games have this amount of polish or genuine care etched into their inner workings.

While it does add some more hive management elements to expand on the original Bee Simulator, the bulk of play remains just middling

Bee Simulator: The Hive is absolutely the definitive version of the game. The only hesitation is for those who already played the original Bee Simulator; whether it’s worth double-dipping depends entirely on how much you loved it the first time. But for newcomers, this is undoubtedly the version to get. It’s a relaxed, family-friendly experience with educational touches, a sweet atmosphere, and just enough variety to keep things light and pleasant. It’s not deeply challenging, but an additional hard mode is optional. It’s simply a cosy game about being a bee, exploring a park, and caring for a hive. I enjoyed my time with it far more than expected, and for families, younger players, or anyone looking for something warm and low-stress, it’s easy to recommend.

I am a big fan of the original Bee Simulator game. I’ve played it a couple of times on my PlayStation. There’s no doubt this game is a really good way of combining gaming with educational elements without feeling like you’re learning something. When I heard there was going to be a new release with new features, I was really really excited! But in all honesty, Bee Simulator: The Hive didn’t need to be a full release. Whilst it adds some really fun elements, they’re only accessible post-main game and it doesn’t really add all that much. It’s quite difficult to figure out what rating to give it. If you’ve played this game before then realistically I don’t think you’ll be massively impressed. If you’re a brand new player I think it does definitely add something to the base game. The bees keep buzzing and this continues to be a good game, ultimately I just don’t think it’s worth buying the game over again. With that I’ve given Bee Simulator: The Hive the Thumb Culture Gold Award.

Bee Simulator can be recommended to children and people who like thses titles. Playing this game is like reading a children's audiobook. If you enjoy short, different, interesting and funny experiences, go for it.