Der rätselhafte Zauberwald Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Beware!
• Contents
• How to Set Up the Game
• How to Play
  • How to Check Your Answer
• What Now?
• The Final Puzzle
• Request Clues!
• Ready to Get Started?
• End of the Game

Beware!

BEWARE! Please read these instructions first before you take the cards out of the box. During both the game setup and while playing the game, be sure to only look at the backs of the cards if explicitly instructed to do so.

Contents

• 1 puzzle deck:
  • 1 prologue card
  • 1 epilogue card
  • 2 cover cards
  • 17 forest cards
  • 17 puzzle cards
• 1 clue deck:
  • 2 cover cards
  • 48 clue cards
• 5 sheets of tracing paper

How to Set Up the Game

1. Remove the puzzle deck from the box and return the top card (the cover card) to the box.
2. Now lay the next 17 cards (the forest cards) out on the table in a circle. The order of the cards doesn't matter here. One of these cards shows the fairy and all of the others only the enchanted forest.
3. Lay the next two cards (the prologue card and the epilogue card) next to the circle of forest cards.
4. Place the next 17 cards (the puzzle cards) ready in a pile.
5. Return the "Last Card" to the box.
6. Now turn over the forest card depicting the fairy and any three other forest cards. The forest cards now show a total of four mysterious characters.
7. The puzzle deck contains a matching puzzle card showing the same character for each forest card. Find the matching puzzle card among the puzzles for each of the characters revealed and place it in the center of the circle WITHOUT TURNING IT OVER.
8. Remove the clue deck from the box and return the top card (the cover card) to the box. Lay the clue deck ready to one side.
9. You'll also need a pencil, paper for making notes, and a stopwatch or timer (not included).

How to Play

Each puzzle card at the center of the circle features a puzzle. Choose any of the puzzle cards, read the text out loud, and attempt to solve the puzzle. Confer with your fellow players and agree on an answer.

Note: For some of the puzzles, you'll need to write something on the puzzle card. Place the tracing paper over the card first, then use the pencil to write your answer on the tracing paper.

IMPORTANT: Never turn over a card "just like that"!

How to Check Your Answer

1. Turn the puzzle card over. You'll find several possible solutions along the bottom edge.
2. Take the corresponding forest card. You'll see leaves in dark and light green along the top edge.
3. Now hold the bottom edge of the puzzle card up to the top edge of the forest card. The light green leaves indicate the correct solution.

Example: The light green leaves point to the letters E–U–L–E. So the solution is "EULE" (owl).

Hurray, your answer is correct: Do the light green leaves show the answer you gave? Well done! You've made an important step towards achieving your freedom.

Oh no, your answer is wrong: That's a shame. Don't worry, though. You can still continue playing! Make a note for the final score that you gave a wrong answer – simply add a dash to your score sheet.

What Now?

Regardless of whether you gave the right answer or not, continue as follows:

1. Lay the puzzle card aside. You'll need it again for the final puzzle.
2. Return the forest card to the circle, turned face up (so that the character is visible).
3. Turn over another forest card of your choice from the circle, find the matching puzzle card, and place it at the center of the circle. If all of the forest cards have already been turned over, then skip this step.
4. Now solve another puzzle on any of the puzzle cards at the center of the circle, and repeat the above steps.

The Final Puzzle

Have you turned over all of the forest cards and solved all 17 of the puzzles? Excellent! Then read the front of the epilogue card out loud and solve the final puzzle. Think you know the answer? Then turn the epilogue card over.

Request Clues!

If you're completely stumped by a puzzle, you're able to request a clue. Find the clues for the puzzle from the clue deck and decide together whether you want to turn over one or more of them to read out loud. Collect all of the clues you've used in a separate discard pile. For each clue you obtain, you receive 1 penalty minute at the end of the game.

Please note: Should a clue card only contain information that you already know, you obviously won't receive a penalty minute for it.

Ready to Get Started?

Then read both sides of the prologue card out loud, start the stopwatch/timer (75 minutes), and get solving those puzzles.

End of the Game

Have you solved the final puzzle? Then stop the stopwatch/timer and check how long you've been playing! Add 5 minutes for each dash on your score sheet and 1 minute for each clue you used. Here's where things get interesting: were you able to save the king's son? Use the table below to check your performance.

Total time	Result
65 minutes or less	Wow, well done! Thanks to your efforts, the king's son is quickly restored to good health and your bravery becomes a popular saying: "Be brave like the heroes of the Enchanted Forest!"
66–70 minutes	Not bad! You managed to save the king's son and wherever you go, people doff their hats to you in reverence.
71–75 minutes	Drat, and double drat! Never mind, though: the king's son is alive and your names are now on everyone's lips.
76 minutes or more	What bad luck! Doctors from faraway lands have beaten you to it with their potions and ointments. There's sure to be another opportunity to prove your bravery again soon.