Forsaken Forest
Forsaken Forest Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Overview
- Game Components
- Phases of the Game
- The Teams
- The Roles
- How to Win
- 1. Game Setup
- 2. Night One
- 3. Day One
- 4. Night Two
- 5. The Next Day
- 6. Each Subsequent Night
- 7. The Day/Night Cycle
- The Decks
- Navigation
- The Destinations
- Must-Wander Rule
- Death
- Spirits
- Revival
- The Gallows
- Foraging
- Actions
- The Turn Cycle
- Priority
- The Forest's Turn
- Role Distribution
- Night One Moderation
- Night Two Moderation
- Glossary
Game Overview
Forsaken Forest is a team-oriented Social Deduction game set within a mysterious forest which has been inexplicably warped by dark magic. The goal of each player is to navigate to their Team's hidden Destination, or to Kill enough of the opposing Team's players. However, most players will start the game without knowing who is on their Team, or where in the Forest their Destination is located.
On the path to victory, players will need to gather information, manage their resources, gain the trust of their fellow travelers, and fend off the evils of the Night.
Players start the game as either a Villager, or as one of the Forsaken. Your secret Role Card determines your Team and your objective in the game. That is, which of the eight face-down Destinations within the Forest that you seek to navigate to, and who you need to Kill. The first Team to either reach their Destination, or kill enough of the opposing team's players, wins.
The Villagers are a simple folk who just want to return to their Village with the cure for the plague that is decimating their people. They are faced with the mystery of determining who they should trust and where they should navigate. They begin the game with no information besides their own identity, but they will tirelessly try to track down and kill all of the Forsaken among them in the group.
The Forsaken look and act the same as the Villagers, with one key difference: They have been corrupted by the Forest to act out its evil plans. Their goal is to mislead and manipulate the Villagers into killing one another and traveling to the incorrect Destinations. They begin the game as a minority within the group of travelers, but should the balance shift in their favor, they'll win the game.
The Forsaken desire nothing more than to lead the group to The Void, a soul prison where the Forest holds the essence of all the innocents who have dared to tread within it. They start the game knowing the identity of each other Forsaken, along with the location of each face-down Destination. Each Night, the Forsaken awaken while the Villagers are sleeping. Under the shroud of darkness, they sacrifice an innocent in the name of the Forest.
The Travelers Deck is both teams' resource for advancing their game plan. It is full of cards that allow players to make strategic decisions, gain valuable information, kill and sabotage those who stand in their way, and, importantly, progress through the Forest.
The Forest Deck plays the role of chaotic evil. At the end of each turn cycle, it throws devastating disasters, crippling curses, and deadly darkness at the group in order to confuse, sabotage, and even kill the travelers who wander within it.
Game Components
- Forsaken Forest Game Board
- Turn Cycle Board
- Game Tokens
- 25 Role Cards
- 184 Travelers Deck Cards
- 32 Forest Deck Cards
- 3 Night Actions
- 8 Destination Cards
- 8 Artifact Cards
Phases of the Game
1. Setup
Gather all of the game components. Place the Destination Cards face-up on the Game Board. Shuffle each deck. Each player draws three cards from the Travelers Deck and, without peeking at them, keeps those cards face-down in front of them.
Decide the Roles to be included in the game, and then deal one Role Card out, face-down, to each player. Each player then carefully looks at what Role they received.
2. Night One
Each player closes their eyes, and then The Forsaken awaken in secret to see who their teammates are. Together, they place the Destinations face-down in the Destination Slots. Some Special Roles also wake up to use their Night One abilities.
3. Day One
Everybody wakes up. Randomly choose a player to go first. Starting with that player, and continuing clockwise, each player must add a Path Token to the board until every player has done so. Then, the randomly chosen player begins their first real turn of the game.
During a player's turn, they draw a card from the Travelers Deck and may play a card from their hand (known as taking an Action).
The Turn Cycle continues clockwise from that player. After six player turns have been taken, the Forest takes a turn! Flip the top card of the Forest Deck into play and face the consequences. This Turn Cycle of six player turns and one Forest Turn repeats until the Forest reveals a Darkness Card and brings Night upon the group. This ends Day One and initiates Night Two.
Navigation
Navigation Cards are a type of Travelers Deck Card that allow you to travel through the forest and progress towards the Destinations by adding a Path Token to the board. This is known as Forging a Path. You may only Forge a Path on a square that connects to an existing Path, or to the center square of the Forest. Players must join forces to create a network of Paths in order to travel to the Destination they seek (See Page 18).
4. Night Two
Everyone closes their eyes and The Forsaken once again awaken in secret. This time, they'll place their Night Action Card, Ritual Sacrifice, into the hand of cards of the player they want to kill. Some Special Roles also use their Night Two abilities.
5. The Next Day
Each player checks their hand for any Night Action cards that may have been placed there. The player who finds Ritual Sacrifice is on Death's Doorstep. Unless someone saves them, they'll pass over to the afterlife and become a Spirit.
Repeat the Turn Cycle until a Darkness card brings Night upon the group once again.
6. Each Subsequent Night
Each Subsequent Night plays out exactly the same as Night Two. The Forsaken and Special Roles perform their abilities in secret.
7. The Day and Night Cycle
The game continues this cycle of Day and Night until a team is victorious.
The Teams
While there are many different roles in Forsaken Forest, there are only two teams included in the base game: the Villager Team and the Forsaken Team.
A player's Team Affiliation stays with them throughout the entire game. A player may openly state (and lie about) what Role Card they have, or what team they're on, however they may never physically reveal their Role Card unless a card allows another player to Peek at it.
Players do NOT announce their Team Affiliation or Role when they die. The Villager Team may not know how many Forsaken are actually left in the game until they win. If all of the Forsaken die, they should immediately notify the Villagers of their victory. Likewise, if the ratio of Forsaken to Villagers is 1:1 or better, the Forsaken should notify the Villagers that they have lost the game.
The Roles
There are ten total unique Role Cards included in the base game. There are six Village Team Roles and four Forsaken Team Roles.
The Villager Team
The Villagers seek only to return home to their Village with the cure for the plague which has decimated them. They win the game if any player navigates to the Destination Card called The Village, or if all of the Forsaken players are dead.
The Commonfolk - The Seekers of Truth
This role has no special abilities. The Commonfolk start the game with no information besides their own role, and they do not awaken during the Night Phases of the game.
The Oracle - The Soul Reader
During Night Two and each Night onward, The Oracle wakes up and Peeks at the player's Role Card of their choice.
The Navigator - Guardian of Secrets of the Land
During Night One and each Night onward, The Navigator wakes up and Peeks at the Destination Card of their choice.
The Priest - The Ward
During Night Two and each Night onward, The Priest wakes up and chooses a player to protect with their Night Action Card, "Shelter From Evil". This prevents the Forsaken from killing that player should they try to sacrifice them during the Night.
The Blessed - Has a Spectral Guardian
The first time The Blessed is placed on Death's Doorstep during the Day, they reveal their Role Card to the group and are instantly Revived. They are not Revived if they are killed during the Night.
The Cursed - Hexed by the Forest
The Cursed is a Villager Role with a downside. The Cursed appears to be a Forsaken when Peeked at, but is actually a Villager. They exchange their Role Card with a Forsaken Role Card on Night One.
The Forsaken Team
The Forsaken are the corrupted travelers who seek only to give the Forest whatever desires. They win the game if any player navigates to the Destination Card called The Void, or if the ratio of Forsaken players to the other living players is 1:1 or better in favor of the Forsaken.
The Forsaken - Sowers of Lies and Chaos
The Forsaken begin the game by waking up while the rest of the group is sleeping in order to identify their fellow Forsaken. Together they all place the Destination Cards face-down in the Destination Slots. During Night Two and each Night onward, they secretly choose someone to kill. They'll do so by placing their Night Action Card, "Ritual Sacrifice", face-down on top of the chosen player's hand of cards.
The Coward - A Villager Who Knows Too Much
The Coward wakes up and secretly learns the identities of the Forsaken on Night One. The Forsaken do not know who the Coward is. The Coward counts as a Villager for Ratio-Win considerations, but they only win the game if the Forsaken Team wins.
The Silencer - A Forsaken Who's Evolved
The Silencer is a Forsaken with added abilities. In addition to helping place the Destinations during Night One, and choosing a player to kill on Night Two with the rest of the Forsaken, the Silencer separately and secretly chooses someone to "Entangle". That player may not speak or play any cards during the next Turn Cycle.
The Shrouded - The Leader of the Forsaken
The Shrouded is a Forsaken with added abilities. In addition to all of the normal Forsaken abilities, The Shrouded appears to be a Commonfolk when Peeked at, but is still a Forsaken. They switch their Role Card with a Commonfolk Role Card on Night One.
How to Win
The Villager Team
Victory Condition #1: Navigate to The Village. If any player successfully navigates to The Village, the game ends, and the Villager Team wins, no matter how many Forsaken remain.
Victory Condition #2: Kill each and every Forsaken. If all of the Forsaken players are dead, the game ends and the Villager Team wins. When all of the Forsaken are dead, they should immediately notify the remaining Villagers that the Villager Team has won the game. The Coward does not count as a Forsaken for this route to victory.
The Forsaken Team
Victory Condition #1: Navigate to The Void. If any player successfully navigates to The Void, the game ends, and the Forsaken Team wins, no matter how many Villagers remain.
Victory Condition #2: Kill enough Villagers. If the ratio of living Forsaken (Forsaken, Shrouded, or Silencer) to the rest of the living players is 1:1 or greater in favor of the Forsaken, then the Forsaken Team wins. For example, If there are two living Villagers and two living Forsaken players left in the game, the Forsaken should immediately notify the remaining Villagers that the Forsaken Team has won the game.
1. Game Setup
Ready the Components
Gather the Travelers Deck, Forest Deck, Artifact Deck, Role Cards, the Destinations, the Night Action cards, the Turn Board, and the Path Tokens. Place the Destination Cards face-up on the Game Board so they can be placed in the Destination Slots by the Forsaken during Night One.
Shuffle the Travelers Deck and place half of the deck face-down on each side of the Game Board so each player can reach one. Each player then places three cards from the Travelers Deck face-down in front of them.
Shuffle the Forest Deck and the Artifact Deck and place them off to the side, face-down. Keep the Night Actions face-up and ready for Night Two of the game.
Determine your Role Distribution
Refer to the Role Distribution section on Page 25. Once your distribution is decided, take the Role Cards, shuffle them together, and deal one out, face-down, to each player. Each player must then carefully look at their card, so as to not reveal it to anyone else (if this happens you should re-deal). When each player is done looking at their Role Card, do not shuffle them back together. Your card must stay with you for the duration of the game. Keep it safely in front of you, for someone may use a card to Peek at your Role Card later on.
2. Night One
After the Role Cards have been dealt out, and each player has memorized what Role they've received, it is time to go to Night One.
During Night One, those players with a Forsaken Role (The Forsaken, The Silencer, and The Shrouded) wake up to see who their teammates are. During this process, they also have 45 seconds to memorize, and then place the Destination Cards face-down in the Destination Slots of their choice.
Because the process of placing the Destination Cards can be quite loud, and moving around during Night could potentially reveal the identity of the Forsaken, it is suggested that each player sits close to the table and within reach of the Game Board. It is also suggested that you play loud or ambient music in order to mask the sounds of the Night.
During Night One, some special roles, such as The Coward and The Navigator, also wake up and secretly perform their Night One abilities.
See Night One Moderation on Page 26 for step-by-step instructions on how the process plays out.
3. Day One
When each Role has performed their Night Action, the group wakes up from Night One and it is officially Day One of the game. Each player starts the game by picking up their face-down hand of Travelers Deck cards to see what cards they were dealt.
The Fugue Phase
Randomly select a player to go first. That player initiates the Fugue Phase of Day One (this is the only time in which this phase takes place). Starting with the chosen player and continuing clockwise, players must take turns choosing a square that connects to either the center of the game board, or an existing Path Token, and then place a Path Token on that square. Repeat this process until each player has placed a Path Token on the board. This is done without the use of any card. Each player simply performs this as a free game Action. During this Phase players may not play cards from their hand.
The Fugue Phase doesn't follow the rules of a normal Turn Cycle or Player Turn. Players do not draw a card, and cannot play cards from their hand during this phase. The Phase continues until every player acts.
The Turn Cycle
After each player has added a Path, and Priority has cycled back to the initial player (there is no Forest Turn in this phase), then that player will begin their first turn of the game. They'll draw a card and then play one card from their hand. The Turn Cycle then continues clockwise to the next player's turn.
Each Turn Cycle consists of six player turns, followed by The Forest Turn. If there are more or less than six players in the game, some players may get to take less than or more than one turn per Turn Cycle. The next Turn Cycle picks up on the player who was next in the last Turn Cycle. See The Turn Cycle on Page 22 for more information.
The Phases of a Player's Turn
- Draw Phase - On your Draw Phase you'll draw a card from the Travelers Deck. Players may play Fast Actions, such as Place in the Pillory before, or even after you draw your card, while still in your Draw Phase.
- Action Phase - The most important part of your turn. First and foremost, your Action Phase is your chance to play a card from your hand. It's the only time you're able to play Slow Actions. It's your choice whether you want to Navigate, or do something else with your turn, but you're only able to play one card on your turn. During the Action Phase, players should also strategize, consult, and probe other players.
- Fast Action Phase - The last chance for other players to play Fast Actions within your turn.
The Forest Turn
After six player turns have occurred, the Forest gets a turn. During The Forest Turn, the group must flip the top card of the Forest Deck into play and face the consequences. It will be painful, but unless it's a Darkness Card, the group will take its punishment and continue onto the next Turn Cycle. There may be many Turn Cycles in a row without going to Night.
Each stretch of Turn Cycles without going to Night is considered to be one Day. A Day does not have a predetermined number of Turn Cycles.
If a Darkness Card is flipped from the Forest Deck and no player can stop it with a Resistance Card, then the group goes to Night Two, and Day One has ended.
4. Night Two
Night Two occurs when the Forest Deck flips a Darkness Card into play, and no player can stop it with a Resistance Card.
During Night Two, the Forsaken once again awaken. Instead of secretly placing the Destinations face-down, they have the ability to choose a player to sacrifice in the name of the Forest. This action is represented by placing the "Ritual Sacrifice" Night Action Card face-down on top of the hand of cards of the player they wish to kill. When the group awakens on Day Two, they'll discover who was chosen.
During Night Two, special roles, such as The Oracle and The Priest, also have the chance to wake up and use their Night Two Abilities in secret.
See Night Two Moderation on Page 27 for step-by-step instructions on how the process plays out.
5. The Next Day
When the group wakes up from Night Two, they'll discover that one of their fellow travelers has been slain during the Night. Each player inspects their hand of cards. The player who finds a Ritual Sacrifice in their hand is now on Death's Doorstep.
Each player has a chance to use the cards in their hand to save the player who is on Death's Doorstep. If they cannot, or will not save them, then that player is now Dead. When a player dies, they become a Spirit. They must discard their hand, and may not take any Actions, but they can continue to talk and guide their team in the right direction. Their turn in the Turn Cycle is skipped and they do not count towards the ratio of living players to Forsaken (for win condition considerations). They must also close their eyes along with everybody else when the group goes to Night.
After the group has dealt with their injured companion, the Day continues in the same fashion as Day One, with six player turns, followed by the Forest Turn.
The Turn Cycle once again continues until a Darkness Card is played by the Forest and is not met by a Resistance Card. All of the Turn Cycles between each Night are considered to be one Day.
6. Each Subsequent Night
Any time a Darkness Card is played by the Forest and it is not met by a Resistance Card, the group once again goes to Night. Each Subsequent Night plays out exactly the same as Night Two. The Forsaken and Special Roles perform their Night Two Abilities in secret.
7. The Day/Night Cycle
The game continues the cycle of Day and Night until a Team is victorious. There may be many Turn Cycles between each Night, or very few. It all depends on how lucky you are, along with how your group uses its resources and prepares for disaster.
The Decks
The Travelers Deck
The Travelers Deck is full of cards that allow players to make strategic decisions, gain valuable information, and navigate through the Forest.
There is one unified Travelers Deck that each player draws from. Players are free to split this deck into smaller piles and pass them around the table so that each player can easily reach the deck. Each player begins the game by drawing three cards from the Travelers Deck and placing them face-down in front of them. On Day One of the game, each player looks at the cards they were dealt.
Each player begins their turn by drawing another card. When a card says Draw a card, it always refers to the Travelers Deck. There is no maximum hand size.
There are two distinguishing characteristics that each Travelers Deck card has: Action Speed and Sub-Type. A card shows its Sub-Type Symbol in its top left corner, and its Action Speed - Sub-Type in the text line below the art (for example, "Fast Action - Resistance").
Action Speed
Slow Actions - Slow Action cards may only be played on a player's own turn, during their Action Phase.
Fast Actions - Fast Action cards may be played at any time, and on any turn, even The Forest Turn. There are limitations, however, to responding to other Fast Actions. See Priority on Page 23.
(Players are allotted one Action on each other player's turn, as well as one on their own turn.)
Travelers Deck Sub-Types
While not all Sub-Types are always relevant, some cards can interact specifically with certain Sub-Types. A card's Sub-Type can be determined by the symbol in the top left corner, or from the text which follows its Action speed.
- Weapon - Weapon Cards allow players to instantly assassinate players which they distrust.
- Alliance - Alliance Cards allow players to share cards and information with one another in order to form a potentially life-saving partnership.
- Resistance - Resistance Cards are essential in preventing the Forest from running amok, and negating the actions of players which you distrust. They use the keywords Forbid and Destroy. When a card is Forbidden or Destroyed by a Resistance Card, all of its effects are negated and it is placed in the Discard Pile, or, if it's a Path Token, removed from the Game Board.
- Discovery - Discovery Cards allow players to make exciting findings and learn the truth about hidden information, such as Role Cards, and Destination Cards. They use the keyword Peek to describe the action of secretly looking at a hidden card.
- Navigation - Navigation Cards allow players to Forge a Path. Forging a Path is essential, as it advances the group towards the Destinations.
- Insight - Insight Cards allow players to draw extra cards from the Travelers Deck and dig for more information and resources.
- Suspicion - Suspicion Cards allow players to accuse a player of being a Forsaken. They specifically refer to the Gallows, where suspicious players must plead their innocence, or face the wrath of the group.
- Revival - Revival Cards allow players to save those who have been critically injured. They use the term Revive to describe the action of saving someone who is on Death's Doorstep.
- Betrayal - Betrayal Cards allow players to sabotage and deplete the resources of players they distrust, or simply need to throw off.
The Forest Deck
The Forest Deck is full of perilous traps, curses, disasters, and evil creatures which want nothing more than to sabotage the group, and to see them trapped in the depths of the Forsaken Forest for all eternity.
The Forest Deck isn't used by any players. Instead, it plays as a sort of "Automa". The top card of the Forest Deck is automatically flipped during the Forest's Turn in the Turn Cycle (after six player turns have been taken).
The Forest Deck is stacked against the Villagers. Every second they stay trapped within, the chances that something deadly comes out of the Forest increases. It's completely possible for the Forest Deck to sabotage the Forsaken, too.
Forest Deck Sub-Types
- Curse - Curse Cards stay in play indefinitely, or until they wear off naturally. They afflict either a single player, or the whole group with a pernicious effect.
- Disaster - Disaster Cards have a devastating, one-time effect on either a random player, or the whole group.
- Darkness - Darkness Cards cause Night to descend upon the group. During Night, the Forsaken awaken in secret to kill an unsuspecting Villager, and some Special Roles use their Night Abilities.
The Artifact Deck
The Artifact Deck is full of enticing items and profitable opportunities that would sway even the most steadfast traveler off of their course.
When the group lands on an Excavation Site (the territories signified by a gold border) they trigger a Discovery, and flip the top card of the Artifact Deck into play. The type of Artifact revealed determines what happens next.
Artifact Deck Sub-Types
Finder's Action - A Finder's Action card belongs to the player who Forged a Path on the Excavation Site in which it was found. The Artifact Card stays face up in front of the finder and may be used as a Fast Action. This means it does still use up an Action when played. Finder's Action cards are one-time use, unless the card states otherwise.
Group Action - A Group Action is an Artifact card that benefits each player equally when discovered. When you flip a Group Action from the Artifact Deck, its effect happens immediately.
The Night Action Deck
The cards in the Night Action Deck are the means by which some Special Roles are able to secretly use their Special Abilities without revealing their identity. Each Special Role who can target a player in some fashion during Night has their own Night Action Card. They will place their Night Action Card face-down on top of the hand of cards of the player who they wish to target with their ability.
This allows multiple roles to target the same player without knowing about one another.
When the group wakes up from Night, each player checks to see if they were targeted during the Night, and then reveal to the group what Night Action Card(s) was placed in their hand.
Night Actions have the same Card Back as Travelers Deck Cards so they can blend into player's hands. Don't mix them into the Travelers Deck though. Place them off to side, so that each Role may easily grab their Night Action Card during Night.
The Discard Pile
Whenever a card is played, and it fulfills its effect, it is placed in the Discard Pile. Some cards may also force players to discard cards from their hand and place them in the Discard Pile. When a player dies, they must place their hand in the Discard Pile.
There are two separate Discard Piles for Travelers Deck/Artifact Cards and the Forest Deck Cards. When an Artifact Card fulfills its effect, it goes into the Travelers Discard Pile just like a Travelers Deck card would.
When a player plays a card that returns a card from the Discard Pile to their hand, they may only return cards from the Travelers Discard Pile.
(The Game Board has a Forest Action area, a Travelers Discard area and a Forest Discard area.)
Navigation
Each individual square on the game board is referred to as a Territory. The act of exploring a Territory and placing a Path Token on it is called Forging a Path. Forging Paths is essential to exploring the Forest and traveling to the Destinations, which is a route to victory for both Teams.
Note that Paths may be Forged in any direction, not just horizontally and vertically.
When you play a card which allows you to Forge a Path (or when you add a Path Token to the board during the Fugue Phase at the very start of Day One) you must announce an unexplored Territory that either connects to:
- The Starting Square.
- A Territory which has a Path Token on it.
If your card is not met with resistance, take a Path Token and place it on that Territory to show it has been Explored. Any Territory with a Path Token on it is fair game to connect to, not just the last one to be Explored.
There are multiple different cards in the Travelers Deck that allow players to Forge a Path - they are called Navigation Cards. On each player's turn, they have the ability to play an Action. It's up to you if you want to use that Action in order to play a Navigation card, or not, but if you have a Wander in your hand, you cannot simply play nothing on your turn - you MUST Wander if the alternative is doing nothing. This is called the Must-Wander Rule.
When you play a Navigation Card and Forge a Path, it represents your character leading the entire group through the forest along with you. There are no individual trails, just one giant network that every traveler individually adds upon. Each player's navigation has consequences for everyone, for you can branch off of and add to other players' Paths. If any player Navigates to The Village or The Void, the game ends no matter who Forged the Paths leading to them.
Each team's goal is to join forces in building a trail which leads to the Destination which acts as that team's win condition. To do so, players must decide where they wish to travel and who they trust, and then work together to travel there. Each player must try to convince others to add to their trail of Paths.
The Destinations
The goal of both teams is to navigate to their Destination before the other team does. When a player Forges a Path on one of the red Destination squares, they flip over the face-down Destination Card associated with that square, and face the consequences. Each of these Destinations is equidistant from the center of the Forest (six squares), but they are not equidistant from one another.
Be careful, for if the group gets too close to The Void, the Forsaken may drag the Villagers there against their will.
If any one player navigates to the Village, or the Void, then the game ends immediately. Each player's navigation has consequences for everyone, not just themselves.
The Village
If any player navigates to The Village, the Villager Team instantly wins the game.
The Village is the homeland that the Villagers so desperately seek to return to. In leading the group here, the Villagers save their Village from plague, break the spell of the Forest over the Forsaken in their group, and escape the Forest with their lives.
The Void
If any player navigates to The Void, the Forsaken Team instantly wins the game.
The Void is the source of the Forest's power. It is a mysterious and massive cesspool of immeasurable despair, carnage, and thousands of trapped souls. In leading the group here, the Forsaken trap the Villagers' souls in the Forest for all eternity.
The Dead Ends
There are six Dead Ends. If any player navigates to a Dead End, nothing happens. The group is still safe, but players must continue to navigate in search of their desired Destination. Time is a finite resource, and wasting it can prove to be deadly.
These Destinations represent natural barricades that the Forest has veiled in order to keep the Villagers trapped within.
Other important landmarks on the Game Board
- Starting Square
- Destination Square
- Excavation Site Square
The Excavation Sites
In addition to the Destinations, there are eight additional territories on the Game Board that the group may navigate to. The Excavation Sites are the territories with a gold border, which are evenly dispersed between each Destination on the outer edge of the Game Board.
A player must go out their way to travel to an Excavation Site, but there are valuable rewards to those who dare tread here. If any player navigates to an Excavation Site, they flip the top card of the Artifact Deck to see what they've found.
Although the treasures found in these locations are immensely powerful, be aware that time is valuable, and going out of the way may cost the group in the long run. If a player is unsure of what to do, and needs some time to figure things out, the Excavation Sites are a great way to bide one's time and gain more information before making any rash decisions.
Must-Wander Rule
On each player's own turn, if they have a Wander card in hand and they do not play any other card from their hand, then they MUST play that Wander card. While one may lie about their reasons for Wandering, in general (including using the Must-Wander Rule as an excuse), they cannot lie about NOT having a Wander in their hand if they would otherwise be forced to play it.
Death
Death's Doorstep is the keyword for when a player has been critically injured, and will die if no one intervenes. This can happen in one of four different ways:
- A Weapon Card
- A Forest Card
- Ritual Sacrifice by the Forsaken
- Being Lynched on the Gallows
Players on Death's Doorstep cannot play cards from their hand or take any game actions. They can, however, continue to speak.
If no one responds by taking an Action to save a player on Death's Doorstep, then that player Dies. A death is never final until each player verifies that they have no response.
Players who have Died are not eliminated from the game. Dead players become Spirits.
Spirits
When a player Dies and they become a Spirit, they must discard their hand of cards. They can no longer take any Actions or draw any cards. They do not count towards the Turn Cycle, nor do they count towards the ratio of Forsaken players to the rest of the living players. They can no longer perform their Role's special ability if they had one, and do not wake up at Night when they are called by the Moderator.
Spirits can, however, talk about the game as much as they want, and help to guide their team to victory from beyond the grave.
A player's Role Card is never revealed when they Die, but they can continue to talk about what Role they have. Their Role Card stays in front of them, but players may not Peek at it, unless a card specifically interacts with a Spirit.
Spirits must still close their eyes during the Night Phase of the game. They cannot be targeted by any Night Actions.
Revival
Revival cards use the keyword "Revive". Players who are on Death's Doorstep can be saved from death with cards that use this keyword.
For instance, if the group wakes up from Night Two to find that a player has been chosen by the Forsaken's Night Action Card, Ritual Sacrifice, that player is on Death's Doorstep. Any player may play a Revival card, such as Miraculous Revival, in order to save them.
Should a player be Revived, they continue the game like nothing ever happened. If a player is on Death's Doorstep and no one chooses to save them, then they are truly dead, and become a Spirit. Spirits cannot be conventionally Revived. Should you draw Miraculous Revival after a player has become a Spirit, you cannot use it on that Dead player.
The Gallows
When a player is deemed suspicious, another player may play a Suspicion Card in order to force them to prove their innocence and answer the group's questioning. When a player is on the Gallows, they should be referred to as The Accused.
When on the Gallows, a player's goal should be to not only convey why they're innocent through convincing testimony, but also to provide evidence, and tell the group who they trust/distrust and what they know.
After The Accused is satisfied, and has answered all the questions they wish to answer, the group, including The Accused, votes simultaneously in order to indicate whether they want the Accused to live or die. Voting occurs after a countdown from three.
Voting is accomplished by putting a thumb up (to signify life) or putting a thumb down (to signify death). If the number of 'Thumbs Down' outnumbers the number of 'Thumbs Up', then the Accused has been Lynched and is on Death's Doorstep. If 'Thumbs Up' wins, or if it's a tie vote, then the Accused lives and the Turn Cycle continues from where it left off.
Foraging
Once, on a player's own turn, they may discard two Wanders in order to draw a card from the Travelers Deck. This does not count as an Action, so they may take an Action on their turn and then decide if they wish to Forage, or Forage and then take an Action afterwards.
Players may sometimes accumulate too many redundant Wander cards in their hand. Foraging gives players the ability to convert them into a new card.
Actions
Taking an Action is the act of playing any one card from your hand.
Each player is allotted one Action on each individual turn within the Turn Cycle. When a player plays a card, whether it be on their own turn, another player's turn, or even during the Forest Turn, it counts as one Action. It's perfectly acceptable to play a Slow Action on your own turn, and then a Fast Action on the next player's turn, and then another Fast Action on the next player's turn, and so on.
Fast Actions are extremely useful for this reason, and should generally be reserved for other players' turns.
Even if a player takes no Actions on their turn, that turn still counts towards the Turn Cycle. Spirits do not take their turn in the Turn Cycle. Their turn is skipped and it no longer counts towards the six player turns in a Turn Cycle.
During the Fugue Phase, each player must Forge a Path as a free game Action. This action doesn't require the use of a card and this process does not follow the normal conventions of a player's Turn, or the Turn Cycle, so players do not draw for their turn and cannot play cards from their hand during this Phase. The Forest will not flip a card after six players have Forged a Path. When each player has Forged a Path, the original player chosen to go first, draws a card and takes the first real turn of the game. This turn follows the normal rules of the Turn/Turn Cycle.
The Turn Cycle
Each Turn Cycle consists of six individual player turns and one Forest Turn. When Day One begins, a player is selected at random to go first, and the Turn Cycle continues clockwise from that player.
Players may keep track of their place in the Turn Cycle with the numbered circles on the Game Board, or by placing their Action for their turn on the Turn Cycle Board. When the Turn Cycle ends, place all cards on the Turn Board into the Discard Pile.
When there are more or less than six players in the game, some players may get less than or more than one turn per Turn Cycle. One may still contribute to the game and carefully observe the actions of other players on other player's turns.
When a card states that an effect occurs at, or lasts until the "End of the Turn Cycle," it means that that effect happens after the current Turn Cycle's Forest Turn has ended. The end of the Forest Turn is the natural end of any given Turn Cycle.
For example, if one plays a card that has an effect which lasts until the end of the Turn Cycle during the Forest's Turn, the card's effect will not carry into the next Turn Cycle. Similarly, Encroaching Darkness' card text means that Night will occur immediately after the end of the Forest Turn in which it was played.
A Turn Cycle does not equate to a Day. A Day is a series of uninterrupted Turn Cycles. A Day continues until a Darkness card brings Night upon the group. A Turn Cycle is always six player turns, followed by the Forest Turn.
Priority
When a player plays a Slow Action, or The Forest plays a card, each other player has the potential to respond with a Fast Action card of their own. Forsaken Forest rewards those players who think on their feet and formulate a plan of action ahead of time, because Priority is rewarded to the player who reacts first.
When a Slow Action or Forest Card is played, the first player to announce that they wish to respond gets to play a Fast Action from their hand. That Fast Action resolves immediately unless another player can play a card that specifically interacts with their card, such as a Resistance Card.
Fast Action cards cannot be responded to with another Fast Action card unless the response specifically interacts with that card. For example, if a player plays a "Shot in the Dark" on another player, that player cannot respond by playing a Shot in the Dark of their own on the player who shot first, but they may play a "Deny Fate" on the Shot in the Dark, because it is a Resistance Card that can interact with Fast Actions.
In the case that a player does want to respond with a Resistance Card, it is once again the first player to announce that they have a response who gets to play their card.
After the first Fast Action response to a Slow Action has resolved, if multiple other players want to respond to the original card, then the first player to announce a response gets the first shot at playing their card.
When no one else wishes to respond to the original card, its effect finally happens.
Players on Death's Doorstep cannot play cards.
The Forest's Turn
The last turn of the Turn Cycle belongs to The Forest. This occurs after six player turns have been taken (a skipped turn doesn't count).
During the Forest Turn, the group must flip the top card of the Forest Deck into play, and face the consequences of its effect. Players may respond to a Forest Card like they would a Slow Action played by a regular player.
Random effects from the Forest should be chosen in a truly random fashion, such as a dice roll.
The Forest's turn is the last turn of the Turn Cycle, so cards that refer to the "End of the Turn Cycle" mean after the Forest Turn has come to an end.
The end of the Turn Cycle does not necessarily mean that the group will go to Night. Unless the Forest flips a Darkness Card into play, the next Turn Cycle will begin immediately after the Forest takes its turn.
If the Villagers are lucky, they may experience multiple uninterrupted Turn Cycles in a row without going to Night.
Role Distribution
Ideal Role Distribution
The Distribution of Villagers to Forsaken is instrumental in shaping how a game plays out, and, of course, the advantage that one team has over another.
The distribution of Villagers to Forsaken will naturally change based on the number of players in the group, or your preferences. As a general rule, there should be between 1.5 to 3 Villagers for every 1 Forsaken role, but 2:1 is ideal.
Ratios (Villagers : Forsaken): 3:2 - Forsaken Team Favored; 2:1 - Ideal; 3:1 - Villager Team Favored.
Suggested Role Distribution When Playing with No Special Roles
| Total Players | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsaken | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Villagers | 3 | 4 | 3 |
(V = Villager Team favored, F = Forsaken Team favored, * = ideal.)
Playing with no Special Roles is recommended for inexperienced players. The strength of each Role on each team will change the dynamic of the game.
Each Role has a weight. A Role's weight simply describes how much influence and power they have for their team in any given game. '1' is the baseline for each team. Adding a Special Role for one team should be balanced by either including a Special Role for the opposing team, decreasing the number of players on the Special Role's team, or by increasing the number of players on the opposing team.
- Commonfolk have a Weight of 1 for the Villager Team.
- Forsaken have a Weight of 1 for the Forsaken Team.
- The Navigator, The Oracle, The Priest, and The Blessed each have a Weight of 1.5 for the Villager Team.
- The Silencer and The Shrouded both have a Weight of 1.5 for the Forsaken Team.
- The Cursed and The Coward both have a Weight of .5 for the Forsaken Team (Even though they have different Team Affiliations).
A Villager Role with a value of '1.5' is worth one and a half Commonfolk. Thus, in a six person game, if you included two '1.5' Villager Roles, two Commonfolk, and two Forsaken, the Villager to Forsaken Distribution would equal '5:2', or '2.5:1'.
Specific cards in the Travelers Deck, such as Discovery Cards can also skew the game in favor of a certain Teams, and can/should be adjusted according to your player count and Role Distribution.
Night One Moderation
To start the game, the group must either choose a player at random to moderate the first Night of the game, or simply visit the following website to auto-moderate Night One: www.forsakenforest.com/moderation
Any player can be a Moderator. The Moderator's role in the actual game won't change, and they won't gain any additional information through the act of moderating. The Moderator will need to memorize the order of the Roles to be awakened before they begin. As the game continues, the Moderator role may transfer from player to player.
Because the process of placing the Destination Cards can be quite loud, and moving around during Night could potentially reveal the identity of the Forsaken, it is suggested that each player sits close to the table and within reach of the Game Board during each Night. It is also suggested that you play loud or ambient music in order to mask the sounds of the Night.
The following are the steps and correct order for all roles to be announced on Night One of the game. You can safely skip a Special Role's steps if you are certain you are not playing the game with that role. Steps which are highlighted green indicate that this step must be announced no matter what roles are included. The Moderator should never open their eyes during the moderation process unless they announce their own role to awaken. (Steps 1, 3 and 7 are highlighted green in the book.)
- "Everybody, close your eyes."
- "Shrouded, wake up and exchange your Role Card with a Commonfolk Role Card. Keep it revealed until your Forsaken partners wake up to see your new Role. You have 10 seconds, then keep your eyes open."
- "Forsaken, wake up and acknowledge your teammates. As a team, place the Destination Cards face-down and memorize the location of each Destination Card. You have 45 seconds, then close your eyes."
- "Forsaken, without opening your eyes, raise one hand up into the air. Coward, wake up and memorize the identities of the Forsaken. You have 10 seconds, then close your eyes and lower your hands."
- "Navigator, wake up and Peek at the Destination Card of your choice. You have 15 seconds, then close your eyes."
- "Cursed, wake up and exchange your Role Card with a Forsaken Role Card. You have 10 seconds, then close your eyes."
- "Everybody, wake up. It is now Day One."
Night Two Moderation
When the group goes to Night Two, a player must once again be chosen to be the Moderator. If there are any Spirits in the game, they should moderate, but they must still keep their eyes closed. While Spirits do not awaken when their Role is called, it is important that the Moderator not skip a Role, even if you know for a fact that that Role has died - it may give away valuable information.
You can also visit www.forsakenforest.com/moderation in order to auto-moderate Night Two.
The following are the steps and correct order for all roles to be announced during Night Two and each Night onward:
- "Everybody, close your eyes."
- "Oracle, wake up and Peek at the Role Card of the player of your choice. You have 15 seconds, then close your eyes."
- "Priest, wake up and place the Priest's Night Action Card, Shelter from Evil, face-down on top of the hand of cards of the player you wish to protect. You have 15 seconds, then close your eyes."
- "Forsaken, wake up and place the Forsaken's Night Action Card, Ritual Sacrifice, face-down on top of the hand of the player you wish to kill. You have 30 seconds, then close your eyes."
- "Silencer, wake up and place the Silencer's Night Action Card, Entangle, face-down on top of the hand of the player you wish to suppress. You have 15 seconds, then close your eyes."
- "Navigator, wake up and Peek at the Destination Card of your choice. You have 15 seconds, then close your eyes."
- "Everybody, wake up. It is now the next Day."
Glossary
- Action - The term for playing any one card from your hand. You may only take one Action per turn within the Turn Cycle.
- Alliance Card - A Travelers Deck card which allows players to form a partnership by sharing resources and/or information.
- Artifact Card - A reward for navigating to one of the eight Excavation Sites. Artifacts Cards are flipped from the top of the Artifact Deck.
- Betrayal Card - A Travelers Deck Card which allows a player to sabotage and deplete the resources of a player who they distrust.
- The Blessed - The first time this Villager Team Role is placed on Death's Doorstep during the Day, they reveal their Role card and they are instantly Revived.
- Commonfolk - This Villager Team Role has no special abilities and no starting information besides their own identity.
- The Coward - This Forsaken Team Role knows the identity of the Forsaken, but the Forsaken do not know him. He wins if the Forsaken Team wins the game, but counts as a Villager for ratio considerations, and doesn't wake up at Night along with them.
- Curse Card - A Forest Deck Card that stays in play and delivers a negative effect until it's Destroyed, or until it wears off naturally.
- The Cursed - This Villager Team Role begins the game with a Cursed Role Card, but exchanges it with a Forsaken Role Card during Night One of the game. When another player Peeks at their Role, they see that of a "Forsaken," but their true Team Affiliation is actually the Villager Team.
- Darkness Card - A Forest Deck card that brings Night upon the group. During Night Two and each Night onward, the Forsaken awaken in secret to kill, and some Special Roles use their Night Two Abilities.