Winterhaven Woods
Winterhaven Woods Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Content Set Up
- Set Up (3-6 Players)
- Table Set Up (4 Player Example)
- Beginning a Round
- Drafting Phase
- Symbols (Arranged in Phase Order)
- Your Meadow and Your Woods
- Plant
- Populate
- Chill in the Meadow
- Steal Phase
- Stealing Penalties
- Hunt Phase
- Ending a Round
- Ending the Game
- Stealing Penalties (Final Scoring)
- 3-6 Player Variants
- Two Player Setup
- Prowling Wolves
- Two Player Variants
- Solo Game Setup
- The Solo Cardinal
- The Game
- Resolving Predators
- Ending a Round (Solo)
- Scoring Solo
- Thank You!
- House Rules
Overview
In Winterhaven Woods, you are preparing the animals of the forest to endure the long winter months.
Your goal is to create the highest scoring section of woodland in the forest.
You will be competing with other players for cards as they are passed around the table! Each turn you draft a card, meaning:
PICK a card from your current hand PLAY the card you picked face down into your meadow PASS the remaining cards clockwise to the next player
Once all the cards have been chosen, players will reveal the cards they drafted, flipping them face up in their meadow.
Then players use the cards they drafted on the current turn to:
PLANT trees to create woods POPULATE woods with creatures STEAL creatures from other players HUNT creatures exposed in meadows.
You score points for each creature populating a woods, each predator who has hunted and is resting, and each hedgehog in your meadow. You can incur penalties by using too many steal cards, so use them wisely!
After three rounds everyone totals their points, bonuses, and penalties, and the player with the highest score wins.
Let's get started!
Two Player Rules begin on page 17 Solo Rules begin on page 20
Content Set Up
Give each player one of these:
- Heart of the Woods (double-sided card) — 6 in the box
(Optional player aid, 2 cards: one showing your meadow and your woods layout, one showing the end-game scoring guide.)
Shuffle these together to create the WOODS DECK:
| Card | Effect | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Bear | must HUNT each round | 3 |
| Wolf | a pack of three wolves may HUNT each round | 16 |
| Beaver | STEAL a One Tree card from any Woods | 4 |
| Owl | STEAL one critter from any Woods | 4 |
| Fox | STEAL one critter from any Meadow | 4 |
| Deer | must POPULATE in pairs | 17 |
| Red Squirrel | up to 5 Red Squirrels may POPULATE a Woods | 12 |
| Rabbit | may POPULATE with other species. ONLY one Rabbit per Woods | 10 |
| Gray Squirrel | up to 5 Gray Squirrels may POPULATE a Woods | 12 |
| Hedgehog | stays in the Meadow and may not be eaten | 14 |
| Two Trees | PLANT Two Trees in any of your Woods | 9 |
| One Tree | PLANT One Tree in any of your Woods | 18 |
Set Up (3-6 Players)
Remove all the cards from the box, and locate all the double-sided cards, and the Solo Game Cardinal Card.
(Also return any expansion cards that may have been mixed in. These are marked with lightning bolt and crown symbols.)
Give one double sided Heart of the Woods card each to each player, and return any extras to the box, along with the Cardinal.
Shuffle all of the remaining animal and tree cards together to form the WOODS DECK.
You are now ready to begin!
Table Set Up (4 Player Example)
Each player has their own meadow (their play area for drafted cards and creatures chilling in the meadow) and their own woods (the section of forest they are building from Tree cards). The WOODS DECK sits in the center of the table within reach of all players, along with each player's Heart of the Woods card.
Beginning a Round
A game of Winterhaven Woods is 3 rounds of play.
To begin a round, deal each player a hand of 7 cards from the WOODS DECK.
Each round has 4 phases:
- DRAFT (pick and pass cards)
- PLANT & POPULATE (play your cards into your meadow and woods)
- STEAL (take other player's cards)
- HUNT (predators eat cards in meadow)
NOTE: These phases happen for all players simultaneously so there is little waiting or downtime.
Repeat Phases 1-4 for rounds 2 and 3.
The table set up for a 4 player example: the WOODS DECK sits in the center of the table, and each player has their own Heart of the Woods card placed in front of them along with their hand of 7 cards.
Drafting Phase
PICK - Players select one card from their current hand of cards to keep, and place it face down in front of them in thier meadow.
PASS – Players then pass the remaining cards clockwise, and receive a new hand of cards to choose from.
REPEAT – Repeat this process, until no cards remain. Players may peek in their facedown pile to remember what they have selected at any time during the drafting phase.
Once all cards have been selected, each player reveals all cards they picked this round by placing them face up in thier meadow, and the PLANT & POPULATE phase begins! (these phases happen simultaneously)
Symbols (Arranged in Phase Order)
PLANT – May be planted in any Woods.
POPULATE – Must be populating a Woods to score at the end of the game.
STEAL – May steal one card during the current round or be discarded. Once used, set aside for end-of-game scoring.
HUNT – Must hunt at least once AND be resting to score at the end of the game.
NUMBERS - The numbers in the icon indicate priority order with the lowest number going first during each phase.
Your Meadow and Your Woods
YOUR MEADOW holds: RESTING predators, the CARDS LEFT IN MEADOW (creatures chilling in the meadow), and STEAL CARDS you have played.
YOUR WOODS holds your Heart of the Woods (which counts as a Woods) and any additional Woods you build, such as WOODS #2 and WOODS #3 (each must contain at least 3 trees).
Plant
Trees provide safety during winter to many types of woodland creatures.
In the PLANT phase, tree cards are combined to create WOODS for critters and deer to populate.
IMPORTANT: A WOODS must always contain at least 3 trees for critters/deer to be able to populate it.
Each player starts the game with a Heart of the Woods card that counts as a WOODS and may be populated immediately.
Players may also create up to two additional WOODS, consisting of at least three trees. (see page 8 for an example)
When planting Tree cards, a player may:
- Plant trees individually or combined to begin a new WOODS (additional trees may be added in later rounds)
- Add any number of trees to an existing WOODS
All Tree cards must be planted in a Woods each round, and once they are planted they may NOT be moved (except by a Beaver). WOODS may contain an unlimited amount of Tree cards.
If there are ever more critters/deer in a WOODS than trees, that player must choose a critter to move out into the meadow. Deer must move out in pairs.
Each One Tree card has one of two species of birds in its branches. These are used in the end game scoring bonus "Birds of a Feather" (see page 15)
Example: Cards Drafted
Cards drafted to the meadow — Tree cards (One Tree, Two Trees) and animal cards (Red Squirrel, Red Squirrel, Bear) — can be used to: combine to create a woods, OR add to existing woods, OR start a new one. In the example, two Tree cards combine into WOODS #2 (three trees total), a Tree card is added to the existing Heart of the Woods to make WOODS #1 (five trees total), and a single One Tree card starts a new pile (one tree only, not ready for populating).
Populate
Critters/Deer need a place to bed down for the winter, and are seeking a home in the woods!
Players all populate their woods at the same time.
Players can populate a woods with critters/deer from their meadow as long as:
- There is only one species of critter or deer populating the woods (plus a rabbit…more on this later)
- There is at least one tree in the woods to support each critter in it. (ex: 4 critters = 4 trees)
IMPORTANT: Each critter/deer must meet the criteria on the bottom of the card before being able to populate.
DEER - may only populate in pairs. There is no limit to the number of pairs of deer in a woods, as long as there is a tree for each deer. Players score additional bonus points for having the most deer at the end of the game.
(completely inseparable, when one of them goes to the bathroom, they both have to go)
SQUIRRELS - are critters that may populate up to a maximum of 5 in a woods. Red and gray squirrels may not populate the same woods.
(it's a Shakespearean rivalry going back centuries)
RABBITS– are critters that may cohabitate with any other species in a woods, but a player may only ever have one rabbit per woods.
(because we all know what would happen if we left two rabbits alone in the woods all winter)
HEDGEHOGS - are critters that just chill in the meadow. They do not have to populate, and may not be eaten.
(hedgehogs gonna hedge)
Chill in the Meadow
Any number of critters/deer may be left to "Chill in the meadow" from round to round, however they will be vulnerable to being eaten by predators.
Critters & deer chillin' in the meadow may be moved into a woods during future POPULATE phases.
IMPORTANT: Any creature with the populate symbol MUST be populating a WOODS to score at the end of the game.
Before moving on to the STEAL phase: check to make sure each player is finished, cards are legally placed for planting and populating, and have each player say they are ready to move on.
IMPORTANT: Once a creature populates a woods, it may not be freely moved.
Steal Phase
Steal Cards are creatures of a crafty or elusive nature!
During this phase players may choose to play (or discard) any STEAL cards they collected during the draft. The lowest number STEAL card played goes first and play proceeds in ascending order.
After playing a STEAL card, place it sideways in your meadow to be tallied during end-of-game scoring.
A player may choose not to play a STEAL card and may simply discard it.
IMPORTANT: STEAL cards MUST be played in the round they are drafted, otherwise they are discarded at the end of the round.
FOX - may steal one critter out of any meadow. A fox MAY NOT be used to steal a deer, predator, or another STEAL card.
The stolen critter may then immediately populate, or chill in the meadow.
OWL - may steal one critter out of any woods. An owl MAY NOT be used to steal a deer, predator, or another STEAL card.
The stolen critter may then immediately populate, or chill in the meadow.
BEAVER – may steal a "One Tree" card from any woods.
The tree card must then immediately be planted in any of the stealing player's own woods.
If the Beaver stealing a tree causes:
- There to be more critters than trees in a woods, one of those critters must be moved out into the meadow.
- There to be less than three trees, it is no longer available for populating and all creatures MUST be moved out into the meadow.
Stealing Penalties
Steal Cards are powerful and have the potential to shift the game dramatically. Because of this, they incur a scoring penalty based on the number of cards played. Discarded STEAL cards do not count towards the penalty.
Penalty Scoring Guide:
| # of Cards Played | Point Penalty |
|---|---|
| 0-1 | 0 |
| 2 | -1 |
| 3 | -2 |
| 4 | -4 |
| 5 | -6 |
| 6 | -2 per card |
After all the STEAL cards have been played, the HUNT phase begins.
Hunt Phase
During the HUNT phase, players may use their predators to HUNT critters/deer left exposed in any meadow (except a hedgehog), including their own.
When HUNTING, a predator may EAT any creature left exposed in a meadow. Once a creature is eaten, it is placed underneath the Predator card and will count for points at the end of the game.
Resting
After HUNTING, Predator cards are turned sideways to indicate they have EATEN and are RESTING before the next round.
IMPORTANT: Predators MUST HUNT at least once and be RESTING at the end of the game to score.
Wolves
Once a player has collected 3 Wolf cards in their meadow, they may form a wolf pack in order to HUNT. A wolf pack may hunt one critter or deer per turn.
Wolves HUNT before bears (they are faster). The wolf pack with the lowest numbered wolf goes first, and play proceeds in ascending order by wolf pack.
If a player has only one or two wolves, they are not allowed to HUNT, but may be formed into a pack in a future round. Wolf packs have a maximum of 3 wolves. Players may form multiple wolf packs.
Bears
Bears HUNT after wolf packs.
Bears HUNT in order with the lowest number going first and proceeding in ascending order, and MUST HUNT each round.
In addition to deer and critters, bears may hunt a wolf that is not yet part of a pack.
Ending a Round
After all predators that may HUNT have done so, the round ends.
Players then ready thier predators to HUNT again in the next round, and MUST decide before the drafting phase begins.
Players may choose:
- To leave their wolves RESTING (and protect the score they have already collected)
- Use them to HUNT again. If they choose to HUNT again, they must eat and rest again before the end of the game to score. Hunting predators are indicated by taking them out of resting position and rotating them 90 degrees so they are vertical.
Each player is dealt a hand of 7 new cards and the next round begins.
Ending the Game
After completing 3 rounds of play, the game ends and players total up their scores:
MEADOW – Discard any creature in the meadow that is not either RESTING, a hedgehog, or a steal card. Score +1 point for each hedgehog.
POPULATING – Score +1 point for each creature POPULATING a woods.
PREDATORS – Score +1 point for each RESTING predator (wolf packs count as 3, 1 point for each wolf) AND +1 point for each creature they were able to EAT. Each predator that was in the HUNT position at the end of the game is discarded, along with any creatures it had eaten in previous rounds and scores +0 points.
Bonuses
GOOD GROWTH – Any player that ends the game with 3 separate woods total, scores + 3 bonus points.
BALANCED DIET – Any predator that ate 3 different types of creatures, (rabbit, deer, red squirrel or gray squirrel) scores +3 bonus points. Bears may also count a wolf they ate toward this bonus.
LARGEST HERD – The player with the highest number of populated deer scores + 3 bonus points. If there is a tie, the tying players each receive + 1 point.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – All players score bonus points for the largest set of birds of the same type in each of their woods. (max of 4 birds per woods)
Scoring scale for a set of same-type birds: 0 | 1 | 3 | 6
Stealing Penalties (Final Scoring)
Players tally the number of star cards they played and subtract points as follows:
| # of Cards | Point Penalty |
|---|---|
| 0-1 | 0 |
| 2 | -1 |
| 3 | -2 |
| 4 | -4 |
| 5 | -6 |
| 6 | -2 per card |
The player who has the highest score wins the game.
If there is a tie, the player with the most trees wins.
If there is still a tie, players share the win.
3-6 Player Variants
TRANQUIL HEART - (no "take that" play) It feels more like caring for pets and is especially great with younger or new players. In this variant:
- Players MUST feed thier Predators with critters/deer from their OWN meadow.
- STEAL cards are kept by the player whose creature is stolen.
- The end game stealing penalty is REVERSED and players get +points to their total score for each STEAL card.
RANDOM BONUSES - If you own the Winterhaven Wonders expansion, you can randomize the end game scoring bonuses, by dealing out three random scoring bonuses at the beginning of the game. This will change up the strategy from game to game to increase variability.
Two Player Setup
This variation adapts the deck and a few rules to make the game better suited for two players.
Locate 2 Heart of the Woods cards and place one in front of each player.
Locate all cards marked with acorns in the lower right corner, Steal Cards (star icon) and Predator Cards (paw icon) and shuffle them together to form the WOODS DECK.
Place all remaining cards back in the box and deal each player a hand of 7 cards.
You are now ready to begin!
In the two player table set up, each player has their own meadow (PLAYER 1 MEADOW and PLAYER 2 MEADOW), with the WOODS DECK and the PROWLING WOLVES area between them.
Prowling Wolves
Any wolves in player's hands are placed in center of the table between player's meadows and are PROWLING. Players then draw back up to a hand of 7, repeating until no wolves remain in their starting hands.
PROWLING Wolves remain in the center until they are able to form a pack of three. During the HUNT phase of each round, a pack will eat one creature from each meadow if able. After they have eaten at least one creature, they are discarded.
Each Round
Rounds have the same 4 phases as a 3-6 player game, these phases are as follows:
DRAFT (see page 5) PLANT & POPULATE (see page 7-8) STEAL (see page 11-12) HUNT (see page 13-14) - The HUNT phase in two player differs because of the PROWLING Wolves. Wolves HUNT in packs of 3 as normal, however, they eat from both player's meadows if able! After they have eaten, they are discarded.
Bears HUNT after Wolves, and can hunt from either Meadow as normal.
Ending a Round
After all Predators that may HUNT have done so, the round ends. Each player is dealt a new hand of 7 cards, placing any Wolves into the PROWLING ZONE, and replacing them. The next round then begins.
Ending the Game
After completing 3 rounds of play, the game ends and players total up their scores! (see scoring on page 15-16)
Two Player Variants
LONG WALK IN THE WOODS – Play the two-player variant as before, but play 5 rounds of play. This will make for a longer game and means you will see more of the deck, changing your strategy.
RANDOM BONUS - If you own the Winterhaven Wonders expansion, you can randomize the end game scoring bonuses, by dealing out three random scoring bonuses at the beginning of the game. This will change the bonus strategy and keep you on your toes with your partner.
Solo Game Setup
Solo play pits you against the predators of the Woods and tests your ability to outwit them.
Locate one Heart of the Woods card and place it in front of you.
Locate all cards marked with only one acorn in the lower right corner and shuffle them together to form the WOODS DECK.
Locate all Steal Cards (star icons), all Bears, and the number 1 wolf card, shuffle them together and deal them into 4 even face down piles. Choose one pile and discard it (normal difficulty), this will not be used for the remainder of the game. Leave all 4 piles for (hard mode)
Turn the top card of each pile face up. This forms the PREDATOR ROW.
The solo table set up (normal difficulty) has the PREDATOR ROW and its predator scoring pile on one side of the table, and the SOLO MEADOW on the other.
The Solo Cardinal
The Cardinal is intended only for the Solo experience in Winterhaven Woods.
A male Cardinal will fiercely protect its home against other birds.
You may draft the Cardinal and POPULATE it in one of your Woods (with an available tree). The Woods it is POPULATING gains PROTECTION from Owls.
The Game
In a Solo Game you will play 3 rounds consisting of 7 turns each.
Beginning a Round
Draw a hand of 8 cards from the Woods Deck and flip over the top card of each pile in the PREDATOR ROW. Immediately resolve the predator if it is able to resolve.
Each Turn You Must
PICK & PLAY - choose one card from your hand and play in your meadow or forest. RESOLVE PREDATORS - resolve any predators who are able to either eat or steal (the wolf may HUNT alone in solo) DISCARD - discard a card DRAW - draw a card
NOTE: Squirrels and rabbits can be played directly into woods, Deer must be played into the meadow and moved in pairs.
Resolving Predators
When resolving a predator, take the card they STEAL or HUNT and the predator itself, and put them next to the PREDATOR ROW at a ninety degree angle to indicate they have been resolved and will score points for the Predators at the end of the game. This is their Scoring Pile.
If multiple predators could resolve at once, use the priority number in the upper right of each card to determine in which order they do so, beginning with the lowest number and proceeding in ascending order.
NOTE: If a predator can steal or eat before your turn, it does so. If a predator can steal or eat after you've taken your turn, it also does so.
Ending a Round (Solo)
As soon as there are no more cards left in your hand, the round ends. (The last turn will end with discarding a card.)
Before moving to the next round, move any face up cards remaining in the PREDATOR ROW, to the scoring pile.
Begin the next round by drawing a fresh hand of 8 cards, and flip the top card of each pile in the PREDATOR ROW face up. (see: Beginning a round).
End of the Game (Solo)
After three rounds, the game ends.
Count the total number of cards in the scoring pile, next to PREDATOR ROW.
This is the Predator score to beat.
Scoring Solo
Now tally your score as follows:
MEADOW - Score + 1 per Hedgehog in your Meadow (other creatures left in your meadow score +0 points). POPULATING - Score +1 point for each creature populating your woods. WOODS - Score +1 point per Woods (max +3 points).
BONUSES:
OLD GROWTH – If you end the game with 11 or more trees + 3 bonus points
BIODIVERSITY - Score bonus points based on the number of different types of creatures you collect (max 5 types): -1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6
If you score higher than the predators, you win! If you didn't, try again.
Thank You!
I would like to thank everyone who has helped bring this game to life. I could not have done it without all of you, and hope you enjoy Winterhaven Woods with your friends and families for years to come.
I would especially like to thank my wonderful wife Allison and my kids Walt & Lily for the endless playtests, thoughtful critiques, sharing my dream with me, and helping me make the space to pursue it.
Collaborators
Allison, Walt & Lily Bodkin, Mark Bodkin, Jeff Bodkin, Ellen Enebo (rules), Maxwell Fredenthal, Brandon Ohmie, Erlijne Runia (solo), Yujia Hou, Jim Cohen, Britta Fisher, Mitchell Resk, Morgan Coulter, Gareth Thomas, George Padelopoulos, James Neumann, James Thomas, Diane Deo, Noah, Jack & Ella Dawson, Jack & Grace McConnell, CJ McConnell, Ron & Peggy Pritzke, John & Michelle Nephew, and many more I'm sure I'm forgetting. Thank you to everyone in the board game community worldwide, for making this such a welcoming and enjoyable hobby to share together. Most of all, thank you to every one of my backers for believing in and helping me make this dream real.
Share Your Story!
I love connecting with players so please don't hesitate to reach out to @featherstonegames on instagram or to contact me directly via email at [email protected]
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House Rules
My family and I come up with new rules and cards all the time. This is space for your ideas. (It's also great place to log wins)
© 2021 Featherstone Games. Winterhaven Woods and Featherstone Games are registered trademarks of Featherstone Games LLC.
Dedicated to Alli, Walt & Lily who help me see the forest for the trees and remind me to pick my head up and appreciate life.