Become a bee with 'Bee Simulator & # 39; | MNN

Video games can show players fantastic places, whether it's Gotman City or Batman or extraterrestrial worlds needing exploration. But sometimes, getting bigger is not always better.

This is the idea behind the upcoming "Bee Simulator" of the Polish video game studio Varsav. Players play the role of a brave drone who seeks to collect pollen from plants in an area inspired by Central Park, while also trying to save the hive from humans and other dangers.

"The main message of the game is to show what our world looks like from the point of view of the bee," said Łukasz Rosiński, creative director of Varsav Studios, MNN.

Be a bee

The hive is only one of the environments that players can explore in "Bee Simulator". (Photo: Varsav Studios)

The idea of ​​creating a game about bees is not exactly what many people think about video games, but Rosiński is inspired to spend time with his toddler.

"The idea of ​​creating 'Bee Simulator' was born in very interesting circumstances," Rosiński said. "[A] A few years ago, while I was reading the book 'Bees & # 39; from the Polish author Piotr Socha, then 2 years old, I came to the conclusion that the scenario is ready for a potentially very interesting computer game! "

The idea is not particularly exaggerated either. The life of a bee involves carrying out various tasks in a spectacular world for man: a much larger version of ours. This sounds like a natural fit for a video game.

"Bee Simulator" has several different game modes, in order to attract players, like different flowers with all kinds of pollen. The first is what Rosiński calls a "story-based campaign with many interesting quests the player must complete in order to finish the game".

In this mode, players assume the role of a brave drone who travels through a park to collect pollen – in the game, some plants have "better" pollen than others – while repelling the attacks of natural bee predators, like hornets and wasps, with its sting. Humans also pose a risk because they want to shoot down the tree in which the drone hive is located. (You can also sting humans, needless to always "have the bee"!) It's up to the drone to save the situation. There is an easy way for kids and a harder one for adults, who offers a fighting system.

The other two modes of "Bee Simulator" involve less narrative and more relaxing fun. A mode of exploration allows the player to browse the park as he wishes, to explore and simply admire the view. The third mode is one that allows two players to face or cooperate to complete various challenges.

This may seem unobtrusive to a video game, but it fits perfectly into a wider movement of the game industry, a move that inspired Rosiński and his team when creating "Bee Simulator".

"As an active player for about 25 years, I've seen a lot of very successful independent games based on unique ideas and perspectives," Rosiński said. "Perfect examples are games such as" Flower "," Limbo "or the Polish" Superhot "and" The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter. "None of these games needed a huge budget to interest a large number of people. players. "

Educational delight

The park in "Bee Simulator" even has a small section for carnival rides. (Photo: Varsav Studios)

Given the inspiration associated with a young child, do not be surprised that "Bee Simulator" was designed for the youngest. It has two levels of difficulty. One is easy, for new players and kids and a difficult setting for more experienced players.

"Personally, I think that" Bee Simulator "could be an ideal first match for a" newborn gamer "," said Rosiński. "We tested, for example, [at] PAX West [a video game convention in Seattle] that the easy mode mechanisms are easy enough to be played by 5 year olds, who do not normally play [many] computer games. "

Because of the simplicity of the controls and the approach of the game for its history and its game, "Bee Simulator" wants to be a convivial experience for the families. Parents can play with their children without having to worry about particularly violent or inappropriate content.

"Bee Simulator" is also educational for players of all ages interested in learning about bees.

"From the beginning of the 'Bee Simulator' development process, we have cooperated with beekeepers in Poland to make the game an interesting simulator and balance the game's arcade elements," Rosiński said. .

"We also searched for many books and articles about bees and attended two bee seminars [at] Polish agricultural universities. The educational aspects of the game show the role of bees as key pollinators, the fact that bees die in many parts of the world, we also present [how bees run] the hive, the way the bees communicate and their natural enemies ".

"Bee Simulator" will release on Steam, the platform for the legal download of video games on PC, in the spring of 2019. The game will also be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch after its release on Steam.

Become a bee with 'Bee Simulator & # 39;

The & # 39; bee simulator & # 39; Varsav Studios allows players to explore a place inspired by Central Park as a bee and protect a hive of humans and wasps.