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Winter and Summer compete to assert their influence over the forest!
Under the constant threat of fires caused by Onibi, each season needs to use strategies to be the first to achieve one of the four victory conditions and thus save the forest..
 
The forest is once again in peril, but Summer and Winter are here to defend it with the valuable help of the guardian animals.
In Living Forest Duel, two players face off as the spirits of Summer and Winter, each striving to save the sacred forest and be recognized as its ultimate protector. Although their goals are similar, only one season will claim the honours, so plan your strategies carefully.
 
The game is played in alternating turns. On each turn, choose one of the following options:

• Draw 1 guardian animal card from the shared draw pile and add it to the shared help line
• Use 1 action token on 1 guardian animal card in the shared help line

 
The 4 Victory Conditions
Each player must achieve one of the four victory conditions first to win the game:

• Create a harmonious forest: Plant a 3×3 rectangle of Guardian Tree cards in your Forest.
• Dominate the Recruitment Line: Have only cards of your season on the recruitment line.
• Extinguish the Destructive Flames: Collect 7 Fire tokens to protect the forest from Onibi's devastation.
• Repel Onibi: Move the Onibi creature to your opponent's side once the Onibi card is in their possession.

 
The tension during every turn is palpable, and managing the tracks is crucial: you can’t afford to neglect any of them, or your opponent will quickly overtake you. The mechanic of the shared draw deck is brilliant and adds an extra layer of strategy to the game.
 
Curious? We haven't told you everything so you can discover some nice surprises, whether you already know the original Living Forest game or not! Click here to learn it through the tutorial included, or simply join a game:
https://bga.li/2lxE
 
Ludonaute has brought this game on our platform thanks to the work done by Jiiru to develop it, and we wanted to thank all of them, including the game designer Aske Christiansen.
The game looks and plays beautifully on most devices, so it's time for you to try this new take on a title acclaimed worldwide.
It might fit your expectations!
If not... There's more than 1000 games on Board Game Arena to bring you some joy.

That's it for your Wednesday Release Time (aka WRT).
See you around, and until next week, as always... Take care and play fair!

Stupid sexy flower Flanders

So every game has a Duel version now

PuertoGeeko84 wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 16:37 So every game has a Duel version now

It's something of an admission that a game that lists 2-players on the box may not be very good at two players and thus a specific two-player/duel version is created.

choog wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 17:13

PuertoGeeko84 wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 16:37 So every game has a Duel version now

It's something of an admission that a game that lists 2-players on the box may not be very good at two players and thus a specific two-player/duel version is created.

It is. And I really wish that publishers would be honest about player counts. I mostly play at two players, and every time I open a box and read the words "two player variant", my heart sinks. It's okay that your game isn't optimized for two, but don't sell it like it is.

Living Forest is a surprisingly thinky little game that I think went under the radar a bit. This actually looks quite good.

clovallo wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 19:08 Living Forest is a surprisingly thinky little game that I think went under the radar a bit.

under the radar?
"As d’or-Jeu de l’Année Initié"
"Kennerspiel des Jahres"

choog wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 17:13

PuertoGeeko84 wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 16:37 So every game has a Duel version now

It's something of an admission that a game that lists 2-players on the box may not be very good at two players and thus a specific two-player/duel version is created.

You are so right

If it's competitive, wouldn't it be petals to the medal?

choog wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 17:13

PuertoGeeko84 wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 16:37 So every game has a Duel version now

It's something of an admission that a game that lists 2-players on the box may not be very good at two players and thus a specific two-player/duel version is created.

Counter-examples: Splendor, Azul.

Randomex wrote: ↑13 March 2025, 15:55

choog wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 17:13

PuertoGeeko84 wrote: ↑05 March 2025, 16:37 So every game has a Duel version now

It's something of an admission that a game that lists 2-players on the box may not be very good at two players and thus a specific two-player/duel version is created.

Counter-examples: Splendor, Azul.

Agree on Azul.

I'm not sure why they felt it necessary to add a tug-of-war mechanic to Living Forest Duel because the Circle of Spirits in Living Forest has a similar feel. Yes, I get that the Circle of Spirits doesn't directly provide a win condition.

But is this just a new trend that many duel versions of games have to have tug-of-war, e.g., 7 Wonders Duel, King of Tokyo Duel, and now Living Forest Duel?