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Defenders of the Wild: Critter Moon
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,903
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Defenders of the Wild
2024
Rules assistance for Defenders of the Wild
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Defenders of the Wild
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Defenders of the Wild is a board game released in 2024 for 1–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Henry Audubon and T.L. Simons and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
In Defenders of the Wild, players are organizers of the animal resistance, fighting to liberate an important region of the Commonwood conquered by the machine occupation. Construction has begun on a new machine core and sprawling factory complex where an animal village once stood. Engines build walls that enclose habitat after habitat while mechs guard expanding factories and toxic pollution spreads. Organizers must cooperate with each other despite longstanding factional disagreements and help their network of fellow Defenders take actions in the right locations and at the right times in order to win this crucial battle. Fight mechs, clear pollution, breach walls, build camps, and rewild factories before the machines complete construction of the core. Can the Defenders work together to defeat the machine invasion? Or will the Commonwood succumb to a devastating industrial winter? It’s up to you and your comrades to decide. Winning the Game: Defenders of the Wild is a fully cooperative game. All players win or lose together. To destroy the machine core and win the game, each player must build all of their camps and then infiltrate the machine core. Losing the Game: If the supply of machine components is not sufficient to fully resolve a drawn machine or factory card, the game ends and all players lose if 2 defenders from the same habitat are killed, the game ends and all players lose. —description from the designer
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Broadway Toys LTD
- GaGa Games
- Matagot
- Geekach LLC
- MS Edizioni
- TLAMA games
- Alis Games
- HIT Games
- Outlandish Games
Questions and answers
Defenders of the Wild supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Defenders of the Wild is 60–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Defenders of the Wild for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Defenders of the Wild has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Defenders of the Wild belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Animals, and Political. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Area Majority / Influence. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Defenders of the Wild are: Henry Audubon and T.L. Simons. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Defenders of the Wild as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.