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- BGG rating
- 7.2
Tír na nÓg
- 1–5 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2024
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- BGG #23,548
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- 6.0
Into the Black Forest
2019
Rules assistance for Into the Black Forest
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Into the Black Forest
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Into the Black Forest is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Jason Slingerland and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
Filled with magic and mystery, Germany’s Black Forest is a place of legend serving as the backdrop for the classic tales we’ve all come to adore. Darkness and danger lurk around every corner, but those who dare to enter the forest and face challenging encounters with creativity and cunning will come out on the other side enriched for having taken the journey...into the Black Forest! The game takes places over 2-3 rounds (depending on the number of players) with each round consisting of three "encounters" or hands. In the game, each player uses their own deck of cards numbered 1-12 that depicts four creatures that will help them journey through the forest: frogs (#1-3), squirrels (#4-6), lynx (#7-9), and owls (#10-12). In addition to the creatures on the cards, each deck has a unique distribution of four suits of magical items: wands, potions, spell books, and swords. At the beginning of each round, players draw six cards from their personal deck and reveal three cards from the central encounter deck. The encounter cards direct the play of each hand and provide a glimpse of what challenges lie ahead for future encounters. Players take turns playing a card to an open slot around the outside of the encounter cards with each side scoring in a different way once the encounter card is surrounded. At the bottom, the low card beats the high card, taking the value of the high card for points. To the left side, the card played scores its value only if its suit matches one of the cards played above. On the top, the high card beats the low card, taking the value of the low card for points. And on the right side of the card, players may each play one card face down, hoping to meet the unique win condition for the card or to bluff or sluff to throw off the other adventurer and buy themselves extra time. After playing three hands, new encounters are revealed, then players choose from their remaining cards and newly drawn cards to prepare for the next round. Into the Black Forest is a new classic card game that provides a challenging puzzle of hand management, planning, and tactical decisions. Fans of trick-taking, area control, and light bluffing will love taking a journey into the Black Forest! —description from publisher
Designers
Publishers
- Green Couch Games
Questions and answers
Into the Black Forest supports 2–4 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 Into the Black Forest is 30–45 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 Into the Black Forest for ages 8 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.
Into the Black Forest has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
Into the Black Forest belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Animals. Its main mechanics are 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 Into the Black Forest are: Jason Slingerland. 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 Into the Black Forest 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.