Into the Forest Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Rules of the Game
  • Timing
  • To Start
  • To Play
  • Scoring
  • Special Cases
  • Death & Decay Cards
  • 2-Player Showdown - Into the Forest for 2 Players
• Questions and Answers About the Rules of Into the Forest
  • Why does the game always start with a Showdown?
  • What if both cards in a Showdown "eat" each other?
  • What if both cards in a Challenge "eat" each other?
  • What if neither card in a Showdown takes the other?
  • What if the challenger asks another player for a certain card, and that player doesn't have the card?
  • How often can a player use the Death & Decay card in a Challenge?
  • What happens when the Death & Decay card meets a card that eats Decaying matter?
  • After we had dealt out all the cards some players had one less card than others. What should we do?
• Credits and Components

Rules of the Game

Timing

There are two different ways of timing the game. Choose one or the other before each game.

1. Timed Rounds: Play 3 or 4 rounds of 20 minutes each. After each round, record each player's score. After all rounds have been played whoever has the most points wins.
2. Long Version: Set your timer for 45 minutes. Whoever has the most points at the end of the time wins.

To Start

1. Deal out all the cards. (Because there are 41 cards in the deck some players will get one less card than others. These players will be awarded 5 extra energy points at the beginning of the game or round.)
2. The first player starts by asking any other player for a Showdown.

To Play

Players may ask each other for either a Showdown or a Challenge. In a showdown each of the two players lays down a card face-up at exactly the same time. If one card "eats" the other then that player takes the "eaten" card and puts it in their hand. If both cards "eat" each other, or, if neither card "eats" the other then it is a stand-off and each player keeps their original card. At the end of a Showdown play passes to the next player no matter who wins the Showdown.

In a Challenge one player asks another for a certain card and shows the card with which he or she is taking it. Example: "Sophie, I want your grass card, and I'm taking it with my deer card." The player then wins the card and is entitled to another turn.

As long as the player can win cards in a Challenge he or she is entitled to another turn.

If the challenger was wrong and the person being challenged did not have the card the challenger asked for, then the challenger must give up his challenging card to the person wrongly challenged and his turn is over.

If a player does not want to challenge another, he or she can ask someone for a Showdown - and this ends the player's turn.

Scoring

At the end of each round or game each player counts their energy points. The person with the most energy points wins that round or game. (Note: Energy point scores are printed in the top right corner of each card.)

Special Cases

Sometimes two kinds of animals can eat each other. For instance, preying insects eat spiders, and spiders eat preying insects. In a Showdown neither takes the other, But, in a Challenge, the challenger does take the other card.

Death & Decay Cards

The two Death & Decay cards are very powerful. Thus there are restrictions on their use:

1. Death & Decay may be used as a challenging card only once in a person's turn. (It may be used in an unlimited fashion when defending oneself in a Showdown, however.)
2. There are plants and animals that take Death & Decay cards: any thing that consumes decayed or decaying matter. In a Showdown they provide a stand-off with Death & Decay. In a Challenge the challenger wins. However, a person may capture only one Death & Decay card by Challenge on any one turn.

2-Player Showdown - Into the Forest for 2 Players

Each player takes half the deck, face down. In unison, each flips over a card from his stack. If one card "eats" the other that player puts both cards in his or her "win" pile.

If neither eats the other, or if both eat each other, the cards are left on the table face up and the players flip another card on top of them. If one of these cards takes the other, all turned up cards are taken by the winner.

The winner can be the one with the most cards or the one with the most energy points.

Questions and Answers About the Rules of Into the Forest

Why does the game always start with a Showdown?

In the beginning of the game none of the players know where the other animals and plants are. They must rely on chance encounters (Showdowns) to find food cards. As time goes on players will know where the animal and plant cards are hidden and they will be able to take cards by Challenge.

What if both cards in a Showdown "eat" each other?

It is a standoff and each player keeps their own card. Play then passes to whoever has the next turn.

What if both cards in a Challenge "eat" each other?

The challenger wins the other card.

What if neither card in a Showdown takes the other?

It is a stand-off and each player keeps their own card. Play then passes to the next player.

What if the challenger asks another player for a certain card, and that player doesn't have the card?

The player being challenged gets to take the challenging card from the challenger. This ends the challenger's turn.

How often can a player use the Death & Decay card in a Challenge?

The Death & Decay card can only be used as a challenging card once in a person's turn. (It can however, be used more than once to defend oneself in a Showdown.)

What happens when the Death & Decay card meets a card that eats Decaying matter?

In a Showdown it is a stand-off. In a Challenge the challenger wins.

After we had dealt out all the cards some players had one less card than others. What should we do?

Because there are 41 cards in the deck some players will get one less card than others. The players who are short one card get 5 energy points added to their score at the beginning of the game.

Why are the energy points set up the way they are?

In this game the top carnivores may seem to be the star performers, but in the real world of nature, it is the plants that outproduce all others, even the glamorous carnivores, by transforming the sun's energy plus earth's chemicals into forms that feed the whole world. Energy points for each organism are given on the cards, with plants producing the most energy points. (The figures given do not approximate real values.)

What number should we call if we have more questions or comments?

Please call us at: 1-800-624-4263

Credits and Components

Credits block omitted. Game Contents line (end of the Q&A sheet): "41 Animal and Plant Cards, Scorepad, Pencil..." — the remainder of that line is cut off at the bottom edge of the scan and is not transcribed.