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The Grimwood
2016
Rules assistance for The Grimwood
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 30–60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.4/5
Rules assistant for The Grimwood
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Grimwood is a board game released in 2016 for 2–6 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Angela Wu and Morgan McAllister and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection.
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About the game
THE STORY You might be a bounty hunter looking for fame and fortune. You might be a peasant looking to feed his starving family. You might be a maiden running away from her arranged marriage, or just a random dude who has gotten lost. Whoever you are, you’ve ended up at The Grimwood, a forest where supernatural creatures reside. THE GAME This highly chaotic, slightly strategic game for 2-6 players takes you into the dark fantasy of The Grimwood, where you search the forest (i.e., deck) to find settings, animals, or most coveted of all, supernaturals, to add to your collection. Use the powers of the supernaturals to help yourself or sabotage others, or find a Rune or Amulet for extra actions or protection. Lots of things can happen in The Grimwood. Find—and keep—the most combinations, and you win! In The Grimwood, a player's turn consists of: 1. Drawing 1 card from the deck or Stealing 1 card from another player's hand.2. Playing a supernatural's power or a Rune. 3. Placing a combo. There are 3 types of combos: Animal, Setting, or Supernatural combos. They are worth the following points: Animal Combos 3 Owls = 10 points 3 Crows = 10 points Setting Combos 1 Clearing + 1 Path + 1 Swamp = 5 points 3 clearings or 3 swamps or 3 paths = 3 points Supernatural Combos 1 Supernatural = 1 point 2 Supernaturals = 2 points 3 Supernaturals = 5 points 4 Supernaturals = 10 points 5 Supernaturals = 15 points The game ends when the last card is drawn. The deck goes quicker than you think!
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Adventure On Games
Questions and answers
The Grimwood supports 2–6 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 The Grimwood is 30–60 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 The Grimwood 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.
The Grimwood has a complexity rating of 1.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
The Grimwood belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection. 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 The Grimwood are: Angela Wu and Morgan McAllister. 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 The Grimwood 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.