Apico is a beekeeper swim 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 to celebrate it. Another way to celebrate yesterday was apparently to release a video game. Apico, a beeping sim about adventures across a 2D world to collect, breed and preserve bees, is out now.

Here is the launch trailer:

It looks wonderful. I’m generally down to relax, 2D craft ’em ups anyway, but several unfathomable menu screens about bees just make me more excited. Ollie had a great time with the demo of the game during last October’s Steam Next Fest:

After an introduction that emits strong Stardew Valley vibes, you will be unleashed in a very beautiful – and astonishingly large – card filled with trees to be felled, people to meet and trade with, and bees to be retained. You will be guided through the initial stages of a very comprehensive book of tutorials and start-up tasks that will teach you how everything works, providing a remarkably frustration-free experience.

Ollie was then obsessed with how satisfying it was to cut down trees. It does not sound like it would be good for the bees.

Apico offers 30 new species of bees to discover via crossbreeding, the ability to repopulate lost species and release them into the wild, and well to feel the ability to produce and sell honey. Which also does not sound good to the bees.

But Apico looks very cute and the demo remains available via Steam. If you decide that you enjoy tending bees – or ruining their habitats and stealing their food – then the full game costs £ 15.49 / € 16.79 / $ 20 from Steam, Humble or Itch.