Shadows in the Forest Rulebook

Table of Contents

Goals
Includes
Setup
How to Play
Game Variations
About the Inventor
A Special Thanks
Important Battery Information
ThinkFun's Mission is to Ignite Your Mind!®

Goals

Shadowlings' Goal: Meet with the other Shadowlings under one Hiding Place while avoiding the light from the Seeker's Lantern.

Seeker's Goal: Find the Shadowlings and freeze them all in the light.

Includes

1 Game Board (folded)
1 Mini Lantern (batteries included)
1 Glow-in-the-Dark Die
10 Hiding Places (assembly required)
- 3 Large Trees
- 3 Medium Trees
- 1 Small Tree
- 2 Rock Formations
- 1 Tree Stump
6 Shadowlings
6 Shadowling Masks

Setup

Remove Glow-in-the-Dark Die and place by a light source during set-up. This will charge the glowing function and can be repeated if the die ever dims.
Unfold the Game Board and place it so all players can access the board.
Remove the Hiding Place materials from the punch boards and assemble the Hiding Places.
The player that most recently took a walk in the woods is the Seeker first. This player will move the Lantern. All other players will act as Shadowlings.
Select the number of Shadowlings. The game can be played with as many Shadowlings as all of the players decide, but no less than three. Try playing a few rounds with different Shadowlings to see what you like best!

Note: Players do not need to choose an individual Shadowling to play. All Shadowling players will work together to move all Shadowlings during the game.
Place Masks on each of the Shadowlings in play.
The Seeker turns on the Lantern and places it on one of the Red Stones on the edge of the board.
Players place all Hiding Places on the board in the areas between the paths. Hiding Places may not touch the path.
Darken the room as much as possible and ensure that the room is dark enough to see the shadows cast on the board by the Hiding Places.
The Seeker must now close his or her eyes and all other players now choose the best hiding places for each of the Shadowlings. Each Shadowling must begin the game hidden in a separate Hiding Place.

How to Play

The Seeker begins the game. On the Seeker's turn, he or she opens his or her eyes and rolls the die. The Seeker then moves the Lantern that number of spaces along the path of stones on the Game Board.

Seeker Movement Rules

The Seeker must move the Lantern along the path of stones shown on the Game Board. Each stone represents one space. Even if a stone is not a full circle, it counts as 1 space.
Once the Seeker has rolled the die and started to move, the Seeker must continue to move in that same direction; the Seeker may only move backwards or change direction after landing on one of the 16 moss-covered stones spread along the path.

Note: The arrow on top of the Lantern piece can be used to indicate in which direction the Lantern is moving.
If the Seeker rolls a 1 on his or her first roll, the Seeker moves one space and then rolls a second time.

Note: This may only happen once per turn, the first time that the Seeker rolls a one.
As the Seeker is moving the Lantern, if any part of a Shadowling is touched by the light, that Shadowling is frozen and its Mask is removed. See "Shadowling Movement Rules" below.
The Seeker collects the Masks in front of him or her. When a Shadowling becomes un-frozen, its Mask is replaced to indicate that it can now move again.
After the Lantern has been moved and any Masks are removed from frozen Shadowlings, the Seeker must close his or her eyes and it is now the Shadowling's turn.

Now it is the Shadowlings' turn. All un-frozen Shadowlings may move to a new Hiding Place or stay in their current Hiding Place. Shadowling players must work together to try and gather all the Shadowlings into the same Hiding Place, safely and un-frozen. Shadowlings should be mindful of the time and never forget to tell the Seeker when they are hidden.

Shadowling Movement Rules

The Shadowling must move only in the shadows. If, during its move, any part of the Shadowling is touched by the light, that Shadowling is frozen and its Mask must be removed.
Shadowlings may move freely to any place on the board; they do not roll the die and they do not have to stay on the path. The Shadowlings can move anywhere, but they must stay on the Game Board (no jumping or climbing).
If a Shadowling has been frozen, one of the other Shadowlings can unfreeze it by traveling through the shadows to the same Hiding Place and touching the frozen Shadowling.

Un-Freezing a Shadowling

Once the Shadowling arrives to the Hiding Place, both Shadowlings must remain together in this Hiding Space until their next turn. Then the Mask is placed back on the newly un-frozen Shadowling, and both Shadowlings are free to move on their next turn.

Winning the Game

If all the Shadowlings meet together with their masks on under the same Hiding Place — the Shadowlings WIN!

If the Seeker can freeze all the Shadowlings with the Lantern — the Seeker WINS!

Note: Both the frozen and un-frozen Shadowlings must be together for 1 turn.

Game Variations

Challenge the Shadowlings by placing taller Hiding Places near the edge of the board, using fewer Hiding Places, or allowing the Lantern to change direction at any stone.
Challenge the Seeker by having him or her announce which direction the Lantern will move after rolling the die and allow the Shadowlings to move before the light does.

About the Inventor

Shadows in the Forest™ (Waldschattenspiel) was invented by the team at Walter Kraul GmbH, a family-owned toy company based in Germany. Walter Kraul GmbH strives to combine technical games with nature and originally intended for Shadows in the Forest to be played with a candle. Many of their toys have received the German "Spiel Gut" award and the UK's Good Toy Guide prestigious "Gold Award". With "Shadows in the Forest," the organization wants to continue to promote playing, observing, and experimenting through the senses.

A Special Thanks

We'd like to give a special "Thank You" to Ben, Alex, Erin, and Dave Trendler for introducing us to the original game, Waldschattenspiel. Thanks so much for sharing your family's version of this wonderful game. Also, thanks to all those friends that played those first few rounds with us!

Important Battery Information

Warning. Contains button batteries. Swallowing or insertion into a part of the body can lead to severe internal chemical burns. Used batteries must be disposed of immediately. Keep new and used batteries away from children. If you suspect that your child has swallowed or inserted batteries into a part of their body, consult a doctor immediately.

Non-rechargeable batteries must not be recharged!
Rechargeable batteries may only be charged under adult supervision.
Rechargeable batteries must be removed from the toy before being charged.
Insert the batteries in the correct "+" and "-" positions.
Remove the batteries when they are empty or if the unit is not going to be used for a long period of time.
The supply terminals must not be short-circuited.
We recommend the use of alkaline batteries.
Only use batteries of the same or similar type.
Always replace all the batteries at the same time, not just singly.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. CAN ICES-3 (B)/NMB-3(B)

Dispose of any items marked with this symbol as follows: Do not put any of the game's electronic components in your household waste, but take them to the appropriate collection point at your local waste disposal site. Please contact your council for further details.

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