Game: The Bee Hive
Genre: Action
System: Nintendo Switch
Developer|Publisher: NeverSleep Games
Age Rating: EU 3 | US Everyone
Price: US $12.99 | UK 9.99 | EU € 12,99
Release Date: November 27th, 2025
Review code provided with many thanks to NeverSleep Games.
The Bee Hive – Bee Tier
I’ll always have a soft spot for solo developers. Making a full video game alone is a huge undertaking, and even attempting something of this scale deserves respect. Over the years, we’ve seen incredible one-person projects that shine because of focus, time, and polish. Unfortunately, good intentions don’t always translate into a good playing experience, and The Bee Hive ends up being one of those cases where the heart is clearly in the right place, but the game itself just isn’t ready.
From the outside, The Bee Hive looks like it wants to tap into that colourful, family-friendly 3D platformer space that many of us grew up with. Think collectables, hub worlds, quirky characters, and simple combat. Sadly, once you start playing, it becomes clear that many of its ideas don’t fully come together, and what’s left is an experience that often feels unfinished, awkward, and frustrating rather than fun.
What Is The Bee Hive About?
The story puts you in control of a bee tasked with saving an insect kingdom after powerful crystals have been shattered and spiders have taken over. You’ll meet various NPCs along the way, including a snail and a ladybird, who try to inject humour and personality into the adventure with unsuccessful results. There’s fully voiced dialogue throughout, which is genuinely impressive for a solo project, and while the delivery isn’t amazing, it’s serviceable.
One of the first red flags appears right at the start. The opening story is presented through comic-style panels, but the narration doesn’t line up with what’s shown on screen. Characters are discussed before they appear, and visuals don’t match the spoken plot. It’s a small thing, but it immediately sets the tone for a game where presentation often feels slightly off.
Once the intro ends, you’re dropped straight into the world with very little guidance. The game clearly takes inspiration from classic 3D platformers, particularly classic Spyro the Dragon on PSone, where hub areas connect to individual levels, and there is a strong emphasis on collecting gems. On paper, that’s a solid foundation. In execution, it never quite clicks.
Movement, Combat, and Camera Woes
Controls are one of The Bee Hive’s many problems. You’re given two camera options: one that sticks closely behind your character and another, more free-flowing camera that tries to mimic modern platformers. Neither feels particularly good. Movement is stiff, turning feels awkward, and basic actions lack responsiveness.
Combat fares no better. Your main attack is a leaf sword, which is a cute idea, but using it doesn’t feel satisfying. Attacks don’t clearly connect with enemies, and without visible feedback, it’s often hard to tell whether you’re doing damage or taking it. The only real indicator is enemy health bars, and even then, fights feel messy and unclear.
Damage feedback is also poor. More than once, I found myself suddenly staring at a black screen because my character had died without me realising I was in danger. Lock-on exists, but it’s unreliable, often sticking to a single enemy spider and refusing to shift focus even when moving on to another enemy.
A Bee That Struggles to Fly
Despite playing as a bee, you can’t properly fly, which feels odd. You can jump and glide, but movement in the air is limited and clumsy. Ironically, bugs in the game sometimes let you fly anyway, sending you floating into the sky with no way back down. These moments are more confusing than amusing, and they happen far too often.
As you progress, you unlock new abilities like swimming and pollination, but they’re introduced with minimal explanation. Tutorials appear briefly and randomly, offering button prompts without context. Thankfully, you can check controls in the options menu, but the game does little to teach you how its systems fit together.
Levels That Don’t Know What They Want to Bee
Visually, the levels are fine at a distance. Draw distance is decent, environments are colourful, and you can usually see where you’re meant to go. But once you’re actually playing, objectives aren’t clear. Much of the game boils down to collecting crystals, unlocking abilities, and repeating similar tasks across levels.
Some sections attempt variety, such as flying missions with the ladybird that involve passing through rings or destroying targets. These clearly echo classic platforming ideas like Spyro again, but they never feel as refined or enjoyable as the games they’re inspired by.
Bugs and Not the Good Kind
The Bee Hive is riddled with technical issues. Enemies respawn endlessly, the camera can clip through floors, controls sometimes stop responding entirely, and animations can lock your character in place. In several cases, the only solution was restarting the game. These aren’t rare edge cases; they’re frequent and disruptive.
Graphically, the game is passable but unremarkable. Character models are blocky, animations are stiff, and there’s no strong visual identity holding everything together. It looks like a game assembled from ideas rather than shaped by a clear artistic vision.
Conclusion: Don’t Get Stung
It genuinely pains me to say this, but The Bee Hive doesn’t feel ready for release. Beneath the bugs and awkward design choices, there’s the outline of a family-friendly 3D platformer that could have worked with more time and refinement. As it stands, though, it’s difficult to recommend to anyone, including kids, as frustration sets in very quickly.
With extensive updates, this might one day become something worthwhile. Right now, however, The Bee Hive feels unfinished, unrewarding and just unplayable
Final Verdict: I Don’t Like it