The Bears and the Bees – Strategic Honeycomb Tile-Laying Card Game

Build the hive, match your colours and race to get rid of your cards in The Bears and the Bees by Grandpa Beck’s Games. This clever family card game combines tile laying, pattern building, hand management and take-that mechanics, as players create a growing honeycomb hive while using special cards to disrupt their opponents.

With simple rules but plenty of tactical opportunities, The Bears and the Bees is a fantastic family strategy game for 2–5 players aged 7+, with games taking around 20–40 minutes.

What Is The Bears and the Bees?

In The Bears and the Bees, players compete to be the first to play every card from their hand. The hive begins with the Queen Bee, and players gradually build outwards by connecting honeycomb-shaped cards.

Every card must connect to at least two other cards, with the colours on touching sides matching. Find a way to match three or more sides and you'll earn bonus plays, allowing you to build your hive even faster.

But watch out for the Flowers, Worker Bees and Bears that can interfere with your plans and force you to draw extra cards!

How to Play

Players start with a hand of honeycomb cards and take turns adding them to the growing hive.

To play a card, it must connect to at least two cards already in the hive, matching the colours on every touching side. Matching more than two sides earns bonus plays, allowing you to play additional cards and potentially create spectacular chains.

Special cards add extra interaction. Worker Bees can make opponents draw cards, while Flowers force everyone else to draw. Bears are particularly awkward: they must connect to a honey-coloured wild side and prevent future cards from being placed against them.

The first player to empty their hand wins the round. After three rounds, the player with the lowest score wins the game.

Why You'll Love The Bears and the Bees

• Clever honeycomb tile-laying gameplay

• Easy to learn with plenty of strategic depth

• Match colours to earn bonus plays

• Special cards create plenty of player interaction

• Fun combination of puzzle and competitive card game

• Great for families and mixed-age groups

• Attractive bee and honeycomb theme

• Play a full three-round game or a quicker single round

• Compact and easy to take to friends and family

• Excellent alternative to traditional matching games

Who Is It For?

The Bears and the Bees is ideal for families, children, casual gamers and fans of tactical card games. The current edition is recommended for ages 7+ and supports 2–5 players.

It's particularly appealing if you enjoy games where pattern recognition and clever card placement combine with opportunities to disrupt your opponents.

Main Mechanics

Tile Laying: Build a shared hive by connecting cards.

Pattern Building: Match the colours around each card to create legal placements.

Hand Management: Decide when and where to play your cards.

Bonus Plays: Match additional sides to earn extra plays and create chains.

Take That: Use Worker Bees and Flowers to make opponents draw cards.

Scoring: Empty your hand first and keep your remaining-card score low.

Games Like The Bears and the Bees

If you enjoy Qwirkle, Hive, UNO, Skip-Bo, Rummikub or other pattern-building and hand-management games, The Bears and the Bees offers a fun combination of puzzle and competitive card play.

It's especially suited to players looking for family games with simple rules, tactical choices and plenty of interaction.

Game Information

The current UK edition is listed by Asmodee UK as a Grandpa Beck's Games title with a September 2025 release.

What's Included?

• 1 Queen Bee card

• 70 Honeycomb cards

• 10 Drone cards

• 15 Worker Bee cards

• 5 Flower cards

• 3 Bear cards

• 2 Card Player Aids

• 2 Turn Player Aids

• Rulebook

That's 108 cards in total, plus the player aids and rules.

FAQ

How many people can play The Bears and the Bees?
The game supports 2–5 players.

What age is The Bears and the Bees for?
It is recommended for ages 7 and over.

How long does The Bears and the Bees take to play?
A full game takes approximately 20–40 minutes. You can also play a single round for a much quicker game.

How do you win The Bears and the Bees?
Be the first player to empty your hand during a round. After three rounds, the player with the lowest cumulative score wins.

What are the Bears in the game?
Bear cards are awkward special cards that must connect to a honey-coloured wild side. Once placed, no future card can touch the Bear, making them both useful and potentially troublesome.

Is The Bears and the Bees a good family game?
Yes. Its straightforward matching rules make it accessible to younger players, while the bonus-play system and special cards give adults plenty of tactical decisions.

Buy The Bears and the Bees from Roll The Dice Cornwall

Build your hive, create clever chains and sting your opponents with The Bears and the Bees by Grandpa Beck's Games. With its combination of pattern building, tile laying and take-that card play, it's a brilliant choice for family game nights.

Pick up The Bears and the Bees from Roll The Dice Cornwall and see who can become the ultimate Queen Bee!