How to Teach Apiary

[@successfulgeek]

Love this! More games need not only the How to Play, but How to Teach!

[@StevieInMTL]

Hi Jamie, yesterday I participated in a Reddit AMA with the designer of Apiary and was immediately captivated by her talk about the design process of her games. Today, I purchased it, and I must say, it's my first experience with a Stonemaier game, and I am thoroughly impressed. The design, components, and even the quality of finish on the cards and rulebook are truly *chef’s kiss. Thank you for your dedication to producing such incredible content. Other publishers could certainly learn a thing or two from Stonemaier. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks for checking out the AMA! I'm glad you're having a good experience with Apiary so far. :)

[@StevieInMTL]

@@jameystegmaier my pleasure. One question though, when I punched out the bits there were some blank ones. Is that normal?

[@jameystegmaier]

@@StevieInMTL Yes, it is. It looks like you asked this on our website, where I answered as follows within a few minutes of the question posting (you only need to ask in one place, as we'll always answer): "Thanks for getting Apiary! Yes, there are a few blanks on the punchboards (this happens in games where there is a precise quantity of certain tokens but the publisher wants to use the same diecut multiple times)-you can just recycle them."

[@StevieInMTL]

@@jameystegmaier hey Jamey, again thanks for taking the time from your day to answer me. Apologies for double dipping! Btw love the work you and your company does and always appreciate how you make the time to answer questions and make content. Keep up the amazing work.

[@jameystegmaier]

@@StevieInMTL Thanks! Happy to help. :)

[@lesleystevens7145]

Jamey, I got my copy of Apiary yesterday, and already played a solo game against the level 2 Automa. It was a lot of fun! Today, I will be teaching the game to my friend and her son. I just wanted to say that the Teaching Guide included in the box and this video are really a tremendous added value from a publisher.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you for playing (and soon, teaching) Apiary! For our more complex games, we like to include quick-start or teaching guides, and I'm glad you liked that addition here.

[@bruceclimas2266]

Excellent video. Doing rather than telling/explaining is always a great way to keep peoples attentions as you teach a game. And having a 'How to teach' player aid is a great idea.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! That's definitely my preferred way to teach and learn.

[@wmarclocher]

Thanks Jamey! This really helped me solidify my understanding of the game and the different worker actions you can take. I've been playing the solo version like mad trying to get my head around how to teach a group this and your video helped there too. Thanks again.

[@wmarclocher]

PS isn't hibernation just a kind way of saying dying? Generally Honey Bees only hibernate in winter other than that they just literally work themselves to death after living for about 4 weeks.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks for playing! If you check out the design diaries for Apiary on our website, you can see Connie talking about how originally--before she added the sci-fi theme--the game was about bees dying. But these are no ordinary bees--these are greatly evolved, sapient space bees! They enter hibernation and wake up during the next Flow.

[@TheEricBooth]

Love the teaching aid. Worked perfect while learning the game yesterday. Everyone needs to do this with all their games.

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm glad you like it. I think it was the right fit for Apiary; you think a full teaching aid is needed for all games?

[@TheEricBooth]

I do. Especially for mid to heavy games. Using the guide made learning very smooth. I think we only had to consult the rules a couple of times. @@jameystegmaier

[@yeomantrader9505]

Very nice especially as an add-on to the how to play video's that never elaborate on the goals or the process, just the rules. It's like reading the rule book without access to the pieces. You're confined to each section as it's shown on the board with no relation to how it all works. I have suffered for months in my new group. I've read the rules. I've watched the videos. Then go to game night with no idea how the game actually operates. 60% of my way through my first time playing, Ah-ha, now I have a plan. Sometimes I have good plans, sometimes bad, but my process is cohesive, even when losing. I now have a better idea what I'm driving toward.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you! I'm always happy to make these videos for our games. :)

[@jimmyhudson3379]

What a cool idea for a teaching guide. Love that.

[@lyg]

I'm going give this teaching style a go for Apiary once it arrives. 😀

[@francoisgrobler6584]

Great video, thank you. I will be using this method as it seems to get players playing asap!

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm now up to teaching it 5 times, and it's worked well every time! :) Thanks for watching.

[@francoisgrobler6584]

@@jameystegmaier super excited to teach and play. Thank you for all the help!

[@OkieDokieCreations]

Ordered today! Can't wait to play and teach!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you!

[@TommyThwack]

Had a question about seed card #25’s top ability. When you put 2 resources onto planets it does not specify basic, so can you put wax and/or honey onto planets? Also when you take the 3 resources, you are taking the actual resources off of the physical planets? (I assume) Or taking from the supply? It isn’t super clear. Thanks! Ordered my copy, looking forward to playing it!

[@jameystegmaier]

I'm glad you asked, as I've seen that card appear in a few games, and I hadn't even thought that you could use it for advance resources. It isn't specified on the card or appendix, so that absolutely appears to be viable. You're correct that you're gaining the actual tokens off planets and placing actual tokens from your supply onto planets.

[@TommyThwack]

Awesome, thanks so much!

[@Pasqwalle]

Ordered yesterday. Excited to get my copy!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you!

[@thepilgrim8336]

I teach games… very poorly… lol I like your way of layering things on as you go and things become relevant

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! Give it a try and let me know if it works for you. :)

[@terhuneb]

How do you handle players that question every new thing you try to say while you're explaining a concept? I feel like it starts to derail the teach "script."

[@jameystegmaier]

When I see that happening, I thank them for the question ("Great question!") and then say that I'm going to cover some core topics and then break for questions.

[@Ashy_Feet]

One thing I can't explain when teaching Apiary, is the strategy of bringing bees back to your landing area instead of your active area. As I read the rules, bumped bees that return back to your landing area can't be used until you do a retrieve action. Yes, this activates your farm retrieve actions, but that doesn't feel like enough juice to take a bee out of action. Am I totally missing something?

[@jameystegmaier]

I don't think you're missing anything--it's highly circumstantial that you'd want a bee in your landing area. Here's how we discuss it in the FAQ (stonemaiergames.com/games/apiary/rules-faq/): Why would you place a bumped worker in your landing area instead of your active pool? You can’t control when an opponent bumps one of your workers off the board. Usually you’re happy for this to happen, as the worker gains strength, and this saves you a retrieve turn. However, you don’t gain income from farms when workers are bumped-only when you take a retrieve turn (and only 1 farm per retrieved worker). The landing area reserves bumped workers for those times when you’re counting on them for income during a retrieve turn. Consider this example: You have three farms with incoming you’re interested in taking. You have three workers on the board, none of which are strength 4. One of them gets bumped. Now you have a decision. You COULD immediately increase the worker and forego the farm income. You can now continue placing workers. However, what if you needed that incoming for your next planned action? You could still retrieve your workers and collect incoming-but you could only use two of your three farms. That’s what the Landing Area is for. -Curtis Homan, FB group IMPORTANT: Whenever you retrieve, ALL retrieved workers (those on the board and in the landing area) must increase in strength.

[@Ashy_Feet]

@jameystegmaier thank you for this thorough response. It leads me to think that for some players, maybe maybe that landing space maybe shouldn't be part of the teach.

[@bethanyc197]

Great explanation. Thank you! Also I would appreciate if you stop rubbing the orange Stonemaier shirt I can’t purchase in my face. Lol jk jk. I did sign up for the request I believe.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks! :) We'll get it back in stock (though people asked us to make Stonemaier polos, so that may be the next version of the shirt).