In a distant future, humans no longer inhabit the Earth. The cause of their disappearance (or perhaps their demise) is unknown, but their absence left a void ready to be filled by another intelligent species.

Over countless generations, one species of honey bee evolved to fill that void. They grew in size and intelligence to become a highly advanced society. They call themselves Mellifera, and they have made significant technological advances, in addition to the technology they adopted from human ruins, including space travel.

In Apiary, each player controls one of twenty unique factions. Your faction starts the game with a hive, some resources, and worker bees. The challenge of worker placement and hive building awaits you: explore planets, collect resources, develop technologies, and create carvings to showcase your faction's strengths (measured in victory points) for one year. However, scarcity is fast approaching, and your workers can only take a few actions before they have to hibernate! Can you thrive or just survive?