A Bee Survival Game

Context – Bee-Careful starts in Lisbon, Portugal. Where social (vulnerable young community), environmental (ecological unbalance and fragmentation), and mobility (elderly retired community) problematics are adressed through one common medium; greenery. Greenery forms the binder in which the previous elderly community of Lisbon convverges with a new and young community across a shared green space, offering the young and vulnerable food and economic stability, and the elderly with leisure and outdooro comfort.

Game Overview

In this game, players control bees living in an urban environment. Bees start inside human houses and must travel across the city, pollinating green corridors and overcoming urban challenges.

The objective is to help the bees complete the infinity-shaped path across the board and finally reach the natural hives, where they will stay safely.The game combines movement, chance, strategy, and urban environmental events.

Game Set-up & Inclusions

Players

• Minimum players: 2
  
• Maximum players: 4
  

Players can play in two formats:

Individual Mode

• 2 to 4 players compete individually.
  

Team Mode

• 4 players form 2 teams.
  
• Teammates must sit opposite each other.
  

Each player controls 5 bees.

Game Components

The game includes:

• Game board with player paths
  
• 5 bee pieces per player
  
• Dice for movement
  
• Urban Event Cards
  
• Plot Twist Circle (Wheel of Fortune mechanic)
  
• Player home zones
  
• Infinity-shaped pollination path
  

Natural hive area (final destination)

Game Setup

1. Each player receives 5 bees.
   
2. All bees start inside the human houses.
   
3. Each player follows their track path around the board.
   
4. The Urban Event Cards are shuffled and placed on the board.
   
5. The Plot Twist Circle (Wheel of Fortune) is placed in its position.
   
6. Players take their seats around the board.
   

If playing in teams, teammates must sit opposite each other.

Starting the Game

Players decide which player begins the game.

The turn order always follows the player numbering sequence 1 → 2 → 3 → 4.

Examples:

• If Player 1 starts → order is 1 → 2 → 3 → 4
  
• If Player 2 starts → order is 2 → 3 → 4 → 1
  

If Player 3 starts → order is 3 → 4 → 1 → 2

Turn Mechanics

During their turn, the player must:

1. Roll the dice.
   
2. Move one bee the number of spaces shown on the dice.
   
3. Perform the action corresponding to the color of the space where the bee lands.
   

Board Spaces and Actions

Green Spaces – Pollination

If the player lands on a green space:

• No special action occurs.
  
• The bee stops and performs pollination.
  

The turn ends.

Light Brown Spaces – Plot Twist Circle (Wheel of Fortune)

If the player lands on a light brown space, they activate the Plot Twist Circle.

The player rolls a 10-sided die (1–10) to determine the event.

Possible outcomes:

1. Territory Swap
   Swap positions on the board with any player of your choice.
   
2. Pass
   Nothing happens.
   
3. Forced Retreat
   Choose one player to move 2 steps back.
   
4. Penalty
   Choose a player to return one bee to the human house and start again.
   
5. Energy Boost Pollination
   Move 3 steps forward.
   
6. Collaborative Pollination
   Add another bee to the board.
   
7. Pass
   Nothing happens.
   
8. Double Move
   Roll the dice again and move again.
   
9. Block
   Choose a player to skip their next turn.
   

Collaborative Pollination
Add another bee to the board.

Dark Grey Spaces – Urban Events

If a player lands on a dark grey space, they must draw an Urban Event Card.

These cards represent environmental conditions in the city that affect bees.

Possible Urban Events:

1. Human Gentrification
   Humans are building new constructions and nature is losing space.
   Move 3 steps back.
   
2. Heat Wave
   It is extremely hot in Lisbon today.
   Skip one round.
   
3. Rainy Day
   It is raining heavily in Lisbon today.
   Skip one round.
   
4. Pesticides
   Chemicals affect pollinators.
   Move one of your bees back to the human house.
   
5. Traffic Jam
   Movement across the city becomes difficult.
   On your next turn, move only half the result of the dice.
   If the result is 1, move 1 step.
   
6. Construction Pollution
   Urban construction pollution blocks your route.
   Move 2 steps back.
   
7. Noise Pollution
   Noise makes you lose focus and concentration.
   The next time you land on a Plot Twist Circle space, you cannot activate it.
   

Objective of the Game

The goal of the game is to help the bees leave the human houses and travel across the urban pollination corridors.

As bees move through the green corridors of the infinity-shaped path, they complete the pollination cycle.

Once a bee completes the full infinity loop, it is placed in the natural hive, where it remains safely.

End of the Game

The game ends when a player successfully moves all their bees from the human houses to the natural hives after completing the pollination path.

Winning the Game

The winner is:

• The player who first places all their bees in the natural hives,
  or
  
• The team that completes this objective first (in team mode).