Gameschoolers, you are going to love this one! We recently discovered a brand-new game from ThinkFun. It’s called Shadows in the Forest and it is a play in the dark strategy game.

I mean, can you even? How much fun is this?

Shadows in the Forest: A Play in the Dark Strategy Game!

*Disclosure: I received a copy of Shadows in the Forest at no cost. I was not required to write a positive review and, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I only share resources that I would use with my own family and those that I believe other families will enjoy. If you have been following our site for any length of time, you already know we adore ThinkFun’s games.

This post is part of my Growing List of My Little Poppies Game Reviews. Slowly but surely, I am making my way through our game closet and sharing our thoughts. Stay tuned for more posts in this series!

Shadows in the Forest provides play in the dark fun!

Do you have a kid who loves all things fantasy and magical and … sometimes… spooky?

I sure do!

In fact, I have three such kiddos! And they all loved Shadows in the Forest!

Basic overview of Shadows in the Forest:

Shadows in the Forest is a play in the dark strategy and cooperative game for ages 8 to adult. The game can be enjoyed by 2-7 players.

Shadows in the Forest tells the story of the Shadowlings. These mythical creatures lurk deep in the shadowy forest and have never been seen by daylight.

The Seeker has heard of these mysterious Shadowlings and has a lifelong wish of seeing one in person. Every evening, the Seeker, with a lantern in hand, searches the forest far and wide.

Unfortunately for the Seeker, the Shadowlings are too quick and they easily avoid the light of the lantern. Still, the Seeker searches. Will the Seeker find one this evening? You’ll have to play to find out!

Components:

• Game board
• 1 mini-lantern (batteries included)
• 1 glow-in-the-dark die
• 10 hiding places:
  • 3 large trees
  • 3 medium trees
  • 1 small tree
  • 2 boulders
  • 1 tree stump
• 6 Shadowlings
• 6 Shadowling Masks

Skills covered:

Shadows in the Forest teaches children how to work together cooperatively. In addition, they must use critical thinking skills to develop a strategy together. Players will also learn about light and shadow!

The object of the game:

• The Shadowlings’ goal is to meet all other Shadowlings in one spot while avoiding the Seeker’s lantern light.
• The Seeker’s goal is to find each Shadowling and freeze them in the lantern light.

How to play Shadows in the Forest:

1. Set up the game board, die, and lantern.
2. The player who most recently took a walk in the woods gets to be the Seeker first.
3. All remaining players will be Shadowlings this round.
4. Select the appropriate number of Shadowlings. The players can choose how many Shadowlings to use each round, but they must use at least three.
5. Players do not need to choose an individual Shadowling to play. All Shadowlings work together during the game.
6. Place masks on the Shadowlings in play.

The Seeker’s turn:

1. The Seeker turns on the lantern and places it on one of the red stones on the board’s edge.
2. Players place all hiding places on the board in areas between paths. Hiding places may not touch the path.
3. Make the room as dark as possible. The darker, the better!
4. The Seeker closes his or her eyes and all players hide the Shadowlings. Each Shadowling must start the game in its own hiding spot.
5. On the Seeker’s turn, he or she will open his or her eyes and roll the die. The Seeker then moves the lantern that number of spaces along the path of the game board. Each stone represents one space.
   • Once the Seeker has started to move, he or she must continue in that direction.
   • The Seeker can only move backward or change direction after landing on one of the 16 moss-covered stones spread along the path.
   • As the Seeker moves the lantern, if any part of a Shadowling is touched by light, that Shadowling is frozen and its mask is removed. The seeker collects the mask.

The Shadowlings’ turn:

1. After the lantern has been moved and the masks are removed from any frozen Shadowlings, the Seeker must close his or her eyes and it is now the Shadowlings’ turn. All unfrozen Shadowlings may move to a new hiding spot or stay in their current place. Shadowlings must work together and try to gather all the Shadowlings into the same hiding spot, safely and unfrozen.
2. The Shadowlings can only move in the shadows. They can move freely to any place on the board without having to roll the die. They must stay on the game board and cannot jump or climb.
3. If a Shadowling has been frozen, one of the other Shadowlings can unfreeze it by traveling through the shadows to that Shadowling and touching it. At that point, the mask is put back on.
4. Both frozen and unfrozen Shadowlings must be together for one turn.

How to win Shadows in the Forest…

Here is how you win Shadows in the Forest …

If all Shadowlings meet together with their masks in the same hiding spot, the Shadowlings win the game. But, if the Seeker freezes all the Shadowlings with the lantern, the Seeker wins!

 

If you like this game…

… you might also enjoy these games:

Do you love games and gameschooling?

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• Ultimate Gamelist: A Free Library of Gameschool Resources
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Do you want to see our gameschool in action?

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: What is your family’s favorite game right now? Share here.