Where the Bees Make Honey
- March 26, 2019
- Brian Wilson
"Where the Bees Make Honey" is a puzzle adventure game that explores nostalgia and childhood memories. Players experience Sunny's reflections of her past from an adult perspective, with gameplay transitioning between first-person and playable vignettes for each season. The game emphasizes a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere, capturing the magic and wonder of childhood dress-up and play.
Reviews
- The game features a unique narrative structure that explores themes of nostalgia and personal growth, allowing players to connect with the protagonist's journey.
- Some artistic chapters and cutscenes are visually appealing, showcasing a distinct and handcrafted art style that evokes nostalgia.
- The perspective puzzles, while short, are interesting and provide a creative gameplay element that stands out.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and janky controls, making gameplay frustrating and often unplayable.
- The narrative is disjointed and lacks depth, leading to confusion about the story and its themes.
- With a playtime of only about an hour, many players feel the game does not justify its price, leaving them wanting more content.
- story31 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of "Where the Bees Make Honey" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it intriguing and relatable, exploring themes of childhood memories and personal choices, while others criticize it for being disjointed, confusing, and lacking a clear direction. The narrative's experimental nature and abstract storytelling may appeal to those who appreciate introspective experiences, but many reviewers noted that the pacing and clarity detract from its overall impact. Overall, the game presents a vision that resonates with some, yet leaves others feeling lost and disengaged.
“The narrative exploration of change, dreams, and personal choices adds depth to the storytelling.”
“While the game's disjointed pacing and occasional narrative hiccups might limit its impact, those who appreciate introspective storytelling and the exploration of personal memories will find themselves immersed in the emotional tapestry of 'Where the Bees Make Honey,' where every memory uncovered is a step towards understanding the intersections of life, dreams, and change.”
“It is the kind of story that makes you really look into the mirror and open your eyes to your life.”
“The storyline is almost non-existent.”
“I'm all for non-linear storytelling, but the story just isn't there.”
“The story also takes too many liberties with its narrative, such as moving between first, third, and even second person... I started to lose track of who or what these metaphors and allegories were applying to in the story.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it to be the weakest aspect of the game due to mechanical issues and a lack of cohesion. While some appreciate the variety of puzzles and exploration elements, others criticize the clunky controls and frustrating mechanics that disrupt immersion. Overall, the gameplay is described as inconsistent, with moments of excitement overshadowed by jankiness and confusion.
“The blend of puzzles and exploration mechanics provides variety, encouraging players to engage with the environment and solve challenges to progress.”
“Overall, the gameplay in 'Where the Bees Make Honey' is exciting and gripping, as you never know how it is going to change next, where no one form of gameplay or perspective outlasts its welcome.”
“From its relatability and gripping plot to the absolutely gorgeous visuals and delicious atmosphere to the exciting and ever-changing gameplay and perspectives.”
“The gameplay is definitely the weakest point of the game.”
“I just feel like the gameplay is all over the place: trying too many things at once and this is the reason why it feels very flat.”
“The game starts falling apart by the end where the mechanics in certain mini-games and levels absolutely do not work as intended or are half-baked and the controls become incredibly clunky and inaccurate to a frustrating degree.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Where the Bees Make Honey" receive mixed reviews, with some praising its distinct, handcrafted art style and polished visuals that evoke nostalgia, while others criticize the inconsistent quality and technical flaws. Despite the presence of high-quality visuals and good use of shaders, some players find the combination of different styles jarring and note that the graphics options seem underutilized. Overall, the game is visually appealing to some, particularly children, but may not meet the expectations of all players.
“The visual design of 'Where the Bees Make Honey' showcases a distinct and handcrafted art style that evokes nostalgia.”
“Visually, the game looks very polished, with some high-quality visuals, good use of shaders, and a good variance of areas, although some might dislike the two different styles being combined.”
“With powerful writing, beautiful visuals, exciting ever-changing gameplay and perspectives, 'Where the Bees Make Honey' is outstanding.”
“Truth be told, the art style is either hit or miss.”
“I don't even know why they have graphics options up to ultra; they obviously didn't bother to address the graphics.”
“Maybe it's my computer which lacks enough graphics power, but the 3D graphics in the game had serious flaws when I was trying to play.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting significant bugs, janky controls, and audio issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players noted improvements in performance on different platforms, the consensus remains that the game feels unfinished and poorly playtested, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, stability issues are a major concern, impacting enjoyment and playability.
“You get an hour of playtime, two if you count being forced to play this buggy mess twice for both endings, which is just not enough for the full price of the game.”
“Some serious issues with janky/buggy controls and audio issues as well.”
“There are many more buggy parts and all in all no part of this game except the office sequences appeared to me to be really finished or properly playtested.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively evokes emotions through its unique narrative structure and relatable themes of personal growth, allowing players to connect deeply with the protagonist's journey. While some pacing issues may detract from the overall impact, the introspective storytelling and nostalgic visuals create a reflective experience that resonates emotionally, particularly highlighted by poignant moments in gameplay.
“With its unique narrative structure, emotional themes, and a blend of puzzles and exploration, the game offers a reflective and occasionally poignant experience that aims to capture the essence of personal growth.”
“The emotional themes and relatable experiences the game portrays stand out, allowing players to connect with the challenges and growth the protagonist undergoes.”
“While the game's disjointed pacing and occasional narrative hiccups might limit its impact, those who appreciate introspective storytelling and the exploration of personal memories will find themselves immersed in the emotional tapestry of 'Where the Bees Make Honey,' where every memory uncovered is a step towards understanding the intersections of life, dreams, and change.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its dynamic and immersive qualities, seamlessly adapting to the ever-changing gameplay and perspectives. Users highlight the combination of powerful writing, stunning visuals, and a relatable plot, all contributing to a captivating and engaging experience.
“With powerful writing, beautiful visuals, exciting ever-changing gameplay and perspectives, and a delicious atmosphere where the bees make honey, it is outstanding.”
“The atmosphere is very much like the gameplay, where it is constantly changing as does everything else in the game.”
“No matter the gameplay or the perspective the game is being played from, the atmosphere changes perfectly to fit in.”
“The atmosphere is very much like the gameplay, where it is constantly changing just like everything else in the game.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highlighted as a standout feature, particularly praised for the impressive performances of the voice actresses and the catchy "ghouls and ghosts" song. Overall, the soundtrack is regarded as the game's strongest aspect, with some users noting that it was the only redeeming quality.
“The standout best parts are the voice actresses' incredible performances, and the 'Ghouls and Ghosts' song, which I enjoy a lot.”
“At least the song chosen for the trailer was good.”
“The only good thing going for this game was the soundtrack.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews do not specifically address optimization, focusing instead on the voice acting and music quality. Therefore, there is no relevant information regarding the game's optimization performance.