Beeswing

About

Beeswing is a single player action game. It was developed by J. King-Spooner and was released on May 8, 2015. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Beeswing" is a single-player adventure game set in a hand-painted, watercolor representation of a rural Scottish village. The game features a unique acoustic soundtrack and focuses on quiet, emotional storytelling with no puzzles or fighting. Explore the village, meet its inhabitants, and uncover the stories that shaped a life in this slow-paced, under 3-hour experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 126 reviews

music18 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful hand-painted graphics and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the emotional experience.
The writing is heartfelt and poignant, exploring deep themes of life, death, and personal memories, making it a unique and touching experience.
Beeswing is a deeply personal and artistic work that resonates with players, offering a reflective journey through the developer's hometown and the lives of its characters.

The game suffers from technical issues, including frequent crashes and unclear interaction points, which can disrupt the experience.
Many players find the gameplay to be lacking, describing it as more of a walking simulator with minimal objectives and no real gameplay mechanics.
The dialogue can be overly verbose and self-indulgent, leading to moments where players may feel lost or disengaged from the narrative.

music
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
57%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its light jazz influences and emotional depth. The soundtrack is described as a standout feature, complementing the game's unique art style and narrative themes, although some users expressed disappointment over the lack of availability for the original soundtrack online. Overall, the music is considered a significant and memorable aspect of the gaming experience, contributing to its artistic merit.
- “The music is exceptional and the meshing art styles is very striking.”
- “A consistently beautiful collection of musings, with a similarly wonderful soundtrack.”
- “This is a unique game; you won't find such a wonderful atmosphere and music anywhere else.”
- “My only complaint is that the OST is nowhere to be found online (as far as I know).”
- “And some parts of the game that are just you walking around while some sappy song plays in the background, unable to leave until it finishes.”
- “Oh and the music certainly leaves its mark, being some of the creepiest loops I've ever heard from a video game.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
10%
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique and diverse art styles, including watercolor, claymation, and hand-drawn elements, which contribute to an intimate and heartfelt experience. While some players appreciate the artistic approach and the emotional depth it adds, others express mixed feelings about the overall execution. The combination of visuals and music is frequently highlighted as exceptional, enhancing the game's storytelling and atmosphere.
- “The graphics are literally pictures of watercolor pictures, sketches, clay figures, etc. It's all very raw and the artistic style doesn't bother me.”
- “The 'handmade' graphics, from watercolor to claymation to actual childhood photos, strengthen the feeling of intimacy, of looking through someone's box of memories.”
- “The art style, use of different media textures, and the original score were incredible.”
- “These games were a mix of different art styles, claymation, jpegs, you name it, it was likely there.”
- “How much should you pay for a game where all of the graphics were drawn by a six-year-old immigrant?”
- “The graphics are literally pictures of watercolor pictures, sketches, clay figures, etc. It's all very raw and whatnot, the artistic style doesn't bother me.”
story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
61%
12%
The game's story is a complex tapestry of life choices, grief, and philosophical reflections, often presented in a non-linear fashion that may not appeal to those seeking a traditional narrative structure. It features a variety of characters and personal anecdotes, exploring themes of existence and the randomness of life, all complemented by unique art styles. Overall, it offers a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant experience for players who appreciate deep storytelling.
- “Plus, Beeswing has so many little philosophical gems itself, from the story of the ugly baby to fantasizing about an imaginary life one created from the smell of a car freshener, to Danny's number-based storyline, to trying to make sense of conflicting ideologies like the idea that everything happens for a reason and that life is a random multicolored Lego bag of chance pieces that you have to make sense of and hope work.”
- “Great story centered on grief and loss, with a nice assortment of art styles to complement the varied characters and places.”
- “Highly enjoyable, poetic story that really stopped and made me think.”
- “If you like a story to be told in a more linear manner, then you're not going to get it here.”
- “Insignificant characters in the middle of nowhere word vomiting their whole life story unprovoked.”
- “So I have to accept that this is all as manipulated as any old three-act story, a trick that the dev has used to make me feel a certain way, but I'll be damned if it hasn't worked.”
emotional
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its profound and heartfelt storytelling, with many players reporting moments that elicited strong feelings, including tears and laughter. While some sections resonate more than others, the overall experience is described as touching and inspiring, enhanced by sincere dialogue, charming graphics, and a unique soundtrack. Players appreciate how the game evokes a range of emotions, making them reflect on personal experiences and feel a deep connection to the narrative.
- “As with all of Jack's games, this is a profoundly touching experience that I would recommend any day of the week.”
- “From its lovely graphic style, to the bunch of characters and themes they approach, to its unique soundtrack... everything fits so perfectly to make Beeswing as moving and inspiring as it is, while remaining so heartfelt and human.”
- “It made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me think and, most importantly, it made me feel.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, resembling more of a walking simulator than a traditional game, with most interactions revolving around conversations and simple tasks. Players noted issues with slow movement mechanics and technical glitches that hindered the experience, leading to frustration. Overall, the gameplay is described as empty and unengaging, with little to offer beyond exploration and reading.
- “Best way I can describe this is it's a walking simulator, but there is some semblance of 'puzzle' gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is like a walk into a large botanical garden; you might be dazzled by the weird and wonderful stuff that the gardeners have pillaged from all over the world.”
- “The gameplay mostly consists of conversations between you and townfolk, neighbors, old friends, and old people.”
- “It's empty, mechanically.”
- “There's not really any gameplay in Beeswing; all you really do is walk around and interact with characters and items and read what they have to say to you or about them.”
- “The activities mostly boil down to, go there, interact with that to finish this, etc. There is so little gameplay that it hardly counts as a game.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of dark, surreal, and satirical elements, effectively evoking a range of emotions from laughter to sadness. Players encounter quirky characters that reflect real-life experiences, making the humor both relatable and thought-provoking. Overall, the writing strikes a balance between unsettling and hilarious, enhancing the emotional depth of the narrative.
- “Set in a rural Scottish village, you go around and interact with weird and surreal characters that shaped his life; some sad, some funny, but all of them real.”
- “The work of Jack King-Spooner is strange, beautiful, unsettling, and hilarious all at once.”
- “The writing was dark and funny and sad and honest.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its beautiful hand-painted backgrounds, surreal elements, and a unique blend of adult themes with childhood nostalgia, creating a memorable experience. While the soundtrack generally enhances the atmosphere, some inconsistencies in the music can disrupt the overall tone. Overall, the game excels in crafting a distinctive and immersive ambiance that leaves a lasting impression.
- “The bittersweet memories that Jack has, the beautiful hand-painted backgrounds, the animations, and the surreal atmosphere that comes with all of Jack's games.”
- “This is a unique game; you won't find such a wonderful atmosphere and music anywhere else.”
- “It's an adult's dream about childhood - the game magically combines adult thoughts and a wonderful atmosphere of childhood.”
- “If there's something to criticize, it's first that there's lots of backtracking involved, and second that while most of the soundtrack is really well done and carries the atmosphere, some songs are not – which becomes even more apparent when the music changes suddenly and with it the whole tone of the scenery.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy, with frequent crashes and game-breaking glitches that can lead to lost progress. While some users report a generally enjoyable experience despite these issues, the presence of significant stability problems remains a concern.
- “Buggy as hell, that keeps crashing.”
- “A few game-breaking glitches; the game crashed once for me, making me lose my progress, and some game elements can get stuck in weird states.”
- “There are a few glitches, but overall it is a great experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues that prevent them from playing on their primary systems. Overall, the lack of effective optimization detracts from the gaming experience.
- “If I were to solely review the game's performance, I could not recommend it; I was not able to play this on my main computer.”
- “The optimization is so poor that it feels like I'm playing on outdated hardware, even though my specs are more than capable.”
- “Frequent frame drops and stuttering make the game nearly unplayable, which is disappointing given its potential.”