Explorers of the Woodlands
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Someone screams for the wrong die, someone celebrates a critical hit on the boss, someone is already planning the next turn. And when the forest grows, everyone stops talking for a moment.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A growing forest, spawning monsters, bosses to defeat together
Explorers of the Woodlands is a cooperative woodland-themed dungeon crawler designed by Geoffrey Wood and illustrated by Jiahui Eva Gao. Released in 2023, the game blends tile placement, dice rolling, and exploration in a setting that smells of moss, mushrooms, and fantastic creatures. It includes a fast classic mode and a 5-mission campaign with variable objectives, special rules, and dedicated components.
Each turn you add a tile to the forest, roll 4 hero dice, and choose actions: move, fight, activate unique abilities. Monsters appear, loot cards save you (or come in handy), the final boss arrives, and you must take them down before the forest devours you. Simple in structure, tense in execution, fast-paced.
What they say abroad
The cooperative game that doesn't make you feel guilty when you lose, but makes you want to play again immediately.
— FroGames
Every forest is different. Every boss is a challenge. Every game is a story you tell afterwards.
— FroGames
Explorers of the Woodlands
The game officially supports solo play from the base box, without an automa or variants. You control multiple heroes or use just one with unchanged rules. The experience is complete, but you lose the thrill of coordinating moves with others at the table: the tactical puzzle remains intact, the social tension disappears.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsWhat you find in the forest
Tiles, dice, monsters and loot: the ingredients for every exploration
Forest tiles
Over 20 different tiles that make up the forest. Every game is a new labyrinth, with events, monsters, and unexpected intersections.
Hero dice
4 dice per turn, variable results. Choose which actions to take: movement, attack, special ability. A double skull changes everything.
Monsters and bosses
They appear during exploration, wear you down, slow you down. The final boss is the real test: if you don't defeat it, the forest wins.
Loot cards
You find them by killing monsters or exploring. Weapons, items, potions: the difference between dying with dignity and winning in extremis.
Recommended sleeves 8 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting cards with transparent sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 70 × 120 mm | 8 |
| Total cards | 8 |
When the forest begins to grow, you stop thinking about strategy and start thinking about the story you're living.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The first tile
You place the starting tile, choose your hero, roll the dice. The forest is still small, everything seems under control. Someone jokes that it looks easy. Spoiler: it's not.
The first monster
The first monster appears. You decide whether to attack it immediately or ignore it to explore. Someone rolls poorly, someone loses health points, someone curses under their breath. The table truly starts to collaborate.
The forest explodes
Now there are 15 tiles, 4 active monsters, random events ruining your plans. The forest is a maze, health points are dropping, loot cards are your only hope. Someone suggests a suicidal move to save the group.
The boss arrives
End of the forest. The boss appears. Everyone looks at the board, counts remaining health points, checks cards. The table stops joking. It's time to play seriously.
Victory or defeat
Either you win together and feel invincible, or you lose and someone immediately says 'one more game'. The modular forest means the next game will be completely different. And you'll play it.
How to play
The flow of each round
Each round is divided into two phases: exploration (add tiles) and adventure (move, fight, use abilities). It ends when you defeat the boss or everyone dies.
Each player adds a forest tile to the existing layout. New paths, new events, new monsters. The forest grows, chaos increases.
The active player rolls 4 hero dice and places them on their character board. The results determine what actions you can take: movement, attack, special abilities.
Move your hero through the forest, attack monsters, collect loot, activate unique character powers. Every choice matters, every wasted die is a lost opportunity.
Monsters attack, random events complicate the situation, the final boss appears when the forest is complete. Coordinate or die separately.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Modular forest that grows each turn
It's not a fixed board. Each player adds a tile in turn, building the forest during the game. Every exploration is different, every game has a unique layout. The dungeon crawler that redraws itself as you play.
Hero dice instead of action points
You don't have 3 fixed actions. You roll 4 dice and get variable results: movement, attack, special abilities, skulls (bad). Randomness is managed, not endured: choose which dice to use and how to combine them.
Mandatory final boss fight
Every game ends with a boss. You cannot win without defeating it. The forest prepares you (or wears you down), the boss tests you. If you arrive without resources, you've already lost.
Loot cards as tactical lifesavers
You find them by killing monsters or exploring. Weapons, potions, magic items. They can turn around a bad roll, save a teammate, deliver the final blow to the boss. They are not optional, they are survival.
5-mission campaign with variable objectives
In addition to the classic mode, there is a structured campaign with 5 different missions: specific objectives, special rules, dedicated components. It's not just a scenario pack, it's a progressive story.
Heroes with asymmetrical powers
Each hero has unique abilities that change your playstyle. One is a tank, one is support, one is a damage dealer. Hero choice changes the group's strategy, not just the aesthetics.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Victory is simple: defeat the final boss. Defeat is more nuanced: it's enough for one of you to fall, or for the boss to crush you all together.
Victory
- Defeat the final boss before it kills you all
- Complete the specific objective of the campaign mission (if playing in campaign mode)
- At least one hero survives the final battle
Defeat
- All heroes die before reaching the boss
- The boss eliminates you during the final battle
- Fail the specific objective of the campaign mission within the turn limit
Explorers of the Woodlands is the cooperative game that makes you want to play again right after, even if you lost. The forest always changes, the boss remains a bastard.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Explorers of the Woodlands
How long does a complete game last?
A classic game lasts 45-60 minutes, depending on how many players you are and how stubborn you are about the boss. The campaign requires 5 separate sessions (one per mission), so about 5 hours total if you play straight through.
Is it suitable for those who have never played a dungeon crawler?
Yes. The rules can be explained in 10 minutes, the iconography is clear, and setup is fast. It's lighter than Gloomhaven or Descent, but maintains the exploration-combat-boss structure that makes the genre work. Great as a first cooperative dungeon crawler.
Is campaign mode mandatory, or can I just play single games?
The campaign is optional. You can play infinite classic single games without touching the missions. The campaign adds depth, variable objectives, and special components, but it's not necessary to have fun.
How much luck is there in the dice? Can I lose just due to unlucky rolls?
Dice matter, but loot cards and hero abilities give you tools to mitigate. A bad roll complicates your turn, but rarely makes you lose on its own. The real problem is reaching the boss without resources: there, luck won't save you; tactical management during exploration is needed.
Is it available in Italian?
Yes, this is the Italian edition published by Tabù Games. Rulebook, cards, components: all in Italian. Ready to play as soon as you open the box.
Explorers of the Woodlands is a cooperative board game for 1-4 players designed by Geoffrey Wood, with a duration of 45-60 minutes and a recommended age of 10+. It combines tile placement, dice rolling, and dungeon crawling in a forested fantasy setting with anthropomorphic heroes. It includes classic and 5-mission campaign modes with variable objectives. Key mechanics: modular forest that grows each turn, hero dice for variable actions, mandatory final boss fight, loot cards for tactical management. Medium-low complexity (weight 2.17 on BGG), ideal as a gateway for the dungeon crawler genre. Italian edition by Tabù Games, components and rules fully localized. Available on FroGames.it.
Explorers of the Woodlands
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