
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,015
- BGG rating
- 6.9
One Deck Dungeon
- 1–2 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2016

2017
Rules assistance for One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows is a board game released in 2017 for 1–2 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Chris Cieslik and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Cooperative Game.
One Deck Dungeon is a card game "roguelike" — a dungeon delve that is different every time, difficult to survive, with a character you build up from scratch. The deck consists of various foes to combat and other perils from the dungeon. Each card depicts both the obstacle to overcome and the potential rewards for doing so. When you defeat a card, you claim it as either experience, an item, or a skill, tucking it under the appropriate side of your character card to show its benefits. The longer you take exploring the dungeon, the deeper you'll delve, and the difficulty will scale up quickly! If you make it far enough, you'll have to fight the dungeon boss. Survive, and you'll be a legend! One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows is a standalone expansion for One Deck Dungeon that contains new heroes, new dungeons, new perils, new foes, and new mechanisms: Poison and event Perils! It can be combined with the original game for a hybrid dungeon experience, with the heroes and dungeons being compatible with the original, or played on its own.
One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows supports 1–2 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 One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows 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 One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows 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.
One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Dice. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Cooperative Game. 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 One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows are: Chris Cieslik. 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 One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows 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.