1 rules manual in English, 1 in German.

Setting Up

There is no set-up to worry about, there is no board, the game starts when the 1st piece is played, there, quicker already than the average game and no worrying about which way the Knight and the Bishop go round.

Game Play

Simply choose a player to start and then take turns consecutively.

Each player can either place a new piece or move an existing piece, there are 2 'must' rules, you must play your Queen Bee in one of your first 4 turns and you may not remove a piece that has been put into play.

Placing a piece - once your first piece has been played you must place subsequent blocks adjacent to your own colour

Moving a piece - all of the insects move in different ways, some 1 space at a time, others more, some jump and some scuttle whilst the Beetle will happily crawl all over the hive.

The End of the Game occurs when a Queen Bee is surrounded, that can be by Silver or Blue pieces, or by a mixture of both.

The Hooks

What is the favoured start ? Where is the strategy book which offers me all the openings ? There isn't one, this is no game of chess.

How do I keep my Queen Bee protected and safe ?

Conclusion

This is not a difficult game to learn. Like chess the different types of piece have different moves and abilities. Unlike chess you do not start the game with all pieces in play and therefore you create different structures more frequently.

Play once and you will want to make it the best of 3, or was that 5 ?

The game is quick to play and has a portability that chess cannot easily match. The rugged pieces in the stout card box should provide both enjoyment and challenge for years to come.

I should say that the rules are beautifully written and illustrated (note to other games designers) with a simplicity that makes the pictures even easier to follow than the text!

Additional Reviews

Details from Boardgamegeek