
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,725
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Nature of the Beast: Farm vs. Forest
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2005

2012
Rules assistance for Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar is a board game released in 2012 for 2–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mark Anticole and Matthew Anticole and its main mechanics are Take That, Area Majority / Influence, and Grid Movement.
Nature of the Beast: Polar vs. Prairie is a game of strategy that focuses on recruiting animals and gaining control of your playing field. The first player to fill his entire field with animals wins. Players recruit animals, promote leaders, purchase equipment, find locations, enlist legendary animals, and befriend human allies. Players also keep track of two tallies during the game: Favor and Fury. Favor indicates how much "pull" you have with humanity. Fury indicates how much of a threat humanity sees you as. Fury is gained by attacking your opponents. Gaining Fury can allow you to take advantage of sinister "Dark Nature" cards, but gaining too much can eliminate you from the game. This Battle Box features two 70-card faction decks: Prairie and Polar. Prairie Animals are clever opportunists. Polar Animals are pragmatic survivalists. Integrates with Nature of the Beast: City vs. Suburb Nature of the Beast: Farm vs. Forest
Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar 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 Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar is 20 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 Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar for ages 12 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.
Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar has a complexity rating of 2.8 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.
Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Take That, Area Majority / Influence, and Grid Movement. 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 Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar are: Mark Anticole and Matthew Anticole. 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 Nature of the Beast: Prairie vs. Polar 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.