Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains
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- Arrives
- October 23, 2026
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You draw a card. There are three things you could do with it. You pick one. The black bear you could have played ends up in the discard pile. Two turns from now, you will miss that exact bear.
WHAT IT IS
The third standalone chapter of Forest Shuffle travels to North America
After Central Europe in the first Forest Shuffle and the wilderness of the English Dartmoor, Kosch brings his nature-themed card game series to the Great Smoky Mountains, the most visited national park in the United States. The illustrations by Toni Llobet and Judit Piella bring to life an ecosystem where water is the protagonist: rivers, streams, and waterfalls that shape the life of the forest.
At the table, you build a layered ecosystem: each card has four usable sides, and you must choose whether to play it as a central tree, as a creature on the sides, above, or below the canopy, or whether to discard it to pay for other actions. The new aquatic terrain cards can be tucked under trees as universal waters, creating synergies with flora and fauna linked to waterways. Fish, black bears, bobcats: every species scores points if you find the right combinations.
What they're saying abroad
"A new continent awaits in the Forest Shuffle universe: After exploring Central Europe in Forest Shuffle and the wilds of southern England in Forest Shuffle – Dartmoor, this new standalone game invites players on a journey to North America."
— Lookout Games
The multi-use card system remains elegant, but now water creates tactical dependencies that weren't there before.
— FroGames
Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains
FrogScore · FroGames editorial review · based on rulebook, international reviews, and gameplay sessionsElements of the park
Four sides, four choices for every card
Central trees
Every tree is the backbone: you attach other cards above, below, to the left, and to the right. Choose wisely which one to plant: some trees give immediate bonuses, others only score points if you complete the canopy.
Aquatic terrains
The novelty: terrain cards that can be played alone or tucked under a tree as universal waters. Rivers and streams unlock extra points for water-linked species, but they occupy a precious slot.
Wildlife
Black bears, bobcats, freshwater fish: every animal scores points if you find the right synergies with other animals or with terrains. Some species only score if you have at least three cards of the same type.
Flora and resources
Plants, fungi, natural resources that fit together with animals. Some give you fixed points, others multipliers. The key is to understand which combinations to protect and which to sacrifice to pay for other moves.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four moves▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
Short turns, but every choice has consequences three rounds later.
Draw two cards from the face-down deck, or take one card from the common clearing (replenishing it immediately from the deck). Choosing from the clearing gives you control; drawing from the deck gives you variety.
You can play a card as a central tree (for free), or attach it to a tree already in play by paying the cost in discarded cards. Each card has four possible orientations: above, below, left, right. Choose where to place it based on synergies.
Some cards have immediate effects: draw extra cards, get fixed points, activate bonuses if you have certain combinations. Effects are resolved immediately, before the turn passes.
Refill the clearing up to ten cards and pass. The game ends when the deck runs out: at that point, everyone counts their points (trees, animals, sets, terrains) and the player with the most wins.
⏱️Your first gameThe play-by-play▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The common clearing
Ten face-up cards in front of you. Everyone draws or takes from the clearing, then chooses: plant a tree, attach a card to a tree already in play, or discard to pay for future actions. The first moves seem harmless, but you are already deciding whether to bet on water or on dry forest.
The first ecosystems take shape
Someone has planted three trees and is building wide. Someone else has only one tree but with four cards attached, all water animals. You begin to understand others' strategies and wonder if you made the right choice on turn 2.
The card you can't find
You have a black bear on the left, another below. You need a third to complete the set and get the bonus. You flip the deck, check the clearing: it's not there. Someone discarded it three turns ago to pay for an action. You have to change your plans.
Universal waters
You draw a stream terrain. You can play it under a tree you already have: it unlocks points for all attached water cards. A move worth 8 points, but it costs you an entire turn and you forgo placing an animal. You decide. The table watches you.
Final scoring
The deck runs out. Everyone counts: trees, synergies, completed sets, terrain bonuses. The winner is whoever found the balance between different species and concentrated combinations. You discover you should have discarded less and built more. Or the opposite.
🐸Know before you goThree honest tips from friends▼
Know before you go
Three things that change the experience
Water is a slow investment
Water terrains are worth many points, but they cost you entire turns to place and only work if you have already built the right ecosystem. If you bet too much on water, you risk falling behind in the early rounds; if you ignore it, you lose multipliers at the end of the game. Timing is key.
Open drafting amplifies the chaos
Everyone draws from the same clearing. If the card you need is face-up, someone else might grab it before you. You cannot plan more than two turns ahead: you must adapt to what is available. Those who hate uncertainty will struggle here.
With 5 players, downtime increases
Each turn is fast, but with five people, you wait for four others' turns before playing again. If someone goes into analysis-paralysis in front of the ten cards in the clearing, the game slows down and loses its rhythm. Better with 2-3.
🏆Winning and losingWhat scores points at the end▼
How it ends
How to win
The game ends when the deck runs out. Points are counted, and the player with the most wins.
Victory points
- Every tree, animal, and plant is worth fixed points printed on the card
- Completed sets (e.g., three black bears) provide multiplier bonuses
- Water terrains unlock extra points for water-related species
Common pitfalls
- Planting too many trees: they take up space but are worth little if you don't complete them
- Discarding too many cards to pay for actions: you find yourself without options at the end of the game
- Ignoring synergies: cards played randomly are worth less than half of a coherent ecosystem
Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains is the most thematic chapter in the series: waters create tactical dependencies that weren't present in the first game, without complicating the rules.
💬FAQQuick answers before checkout▼
FAQ
FAQ about Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains
What mechanics does Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains use?
Multipurpose cards (each card has four playable orientations), hand management (choose what to keep and what to discard to pay), layering (build vertically and horizontally around trees), open drafting (draw from a face-down deck or the common clearing), set collection (complete species groups for bonuses). Water terrains add an even deeper layer of multi-use cards: playable alone or under trees.
Do I need to know the first Forest Shuffle to play Smoky Mountains?
No, it is a complete standalone. You can play it without ever having seen the base game. The rules are the same with the addition of universal waters, explained in the manual. If you want, you can mix cards from multiple Forest Shuffle sets to vary the species even more.
How long does an actual game last?
With players who know the rules, 50-60 minutes with three people. With five, it can reach 75 minutes if someone is slow to choose from the clearing. The first game including explanation takes about 90 minutes.
Is it suitable for those who know nothing about ecosystems?
Yes. The cards have names and illustrations of real species, but to play, you just need to read the symbols: the game teaches you synergies through clear icons. It is educational without being academic: after three games, you know which animals live near water, but you don't have to study before starting.
Is it available in Italian?
Yes, this is the Italian edition published by Asmodee. Cards, rulebook, and all text are in Italian.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who drew it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains is a strategic card game for 2-5 players, 60-minute duration, recommended age 10+. Designed by Kosch and illustrated by Toni Llobet and Judit Piella, it takes the Forest Shuffle series into the Great Smoky Mountains of North America. Key mechanics include multipurpose cards, layering, hand management, and set collection: each card has four playable orientations (central tree, creature above/below/on sides), and you must build layered ecosystems around water. The new feature is water terrains, playable alone or under trees as universal waters, which unlock synergies with flora and fauna tied to rivers. A complete standalone, compatible with other Forest Shuffle sets. Published by Lookout Games, Italian edition by Asmodee. Available on FroGames.it
Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains
Frequently Asked Questions
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