My first game I bought this year for 2026 is not the latest or even most top-rated game out there. It is however by a designer known and loved for his sandbox, action efficiency Euros. Uwe Rosenberg is a German designer known for his games like Caverna, Agricola and A Feast For Odin. And through his own publisher Feuerland Spiele which boast not only some of his title but also the ever popular and growing Ark Nova and Sanctuary.
His most recent release with this publisher is Black Forest a successor and recreation of Glass Road. Focusing on the green tinted glass huts in the heartland of Germany, Black Forest is a worker placement game. Featuring 5 different villages where you can gain resources from charcoal to porridge as well as classic Uwe style pigs and cows.
How Does it Play?
Don’t be intimidated by the sprawling 30+ double-sided buildings. The turns in Black Forest are quite straightforward. You can place your meeple in any village between two tradespeople. Then you can activate one or both merchants to earn resources on your two dials. These dials represent cooking and glassmaking. Glass requires sand, water, wood and charcoal while provisions need meat, porridge and charcoal.
Starting a journey from village to village requires provisions and you begin with three at the start of the game. The wheels within Black Forest are a key puzzle mechanic. As you move a resource from zero upwards (provided no others are zero) your wheels automatically produce the corresponding resources of glass or provisions depending on which wheel you’ve gained items for.
Tradespeople are randomised each game with each tile featuring a different backing corresponding to their business type. This ensures a balanced distribution of build actions, animals, wood/charcoal and field actions across the villages.
You use these resources to create more resources, which you then use to buy all those buildings! Buildings vary in terms of one-time rewards end-game scoring conversions and discounts. They also give you the points needed to win the game. Each building has a specific action it helps produce like farm animals, domain expansion or glass making. These buildings are versatile and whether they are useful will depend on the start of each game state.
What Games is it Like?
Black Forest is on the heavier end of gaming. While it is less complex than Terraforming Mars it is more complex than Wingspan. Black Forest as that brown beige feeling of Ark Nova, with substance coming from the mechanic rather than the artwork. Black Forest once on the table is a nice game. It has an inviting feel with subtle colours and clear iconography to draw you into the woods.
Games that have similar feel might be Flamecraft, which involves visiting locations to gain resources to build better extensions and additions to those shops. Flamecraft offers the same feeling of moving from place to place but is far less complex and overwhelming. Flamecraft is good for those who would like an inviting and welcoming Euro-themed game.
Great Western Trail is a game that draws inspiration from the journeys across the landscapes they inhabit. The board, reminiscent of Black Forest, is constantly evolving and changing as players interact with it. Great Western Trail is a great choice for those who enjoy witnessing a map of options expand and improve over time. It also aligns more closely with the complexity and heaviness of Black Forest.
Should you Buy it?
Based on my first impressions there are many factors to consider why Black Forest is a good game to purchase:
Choices – each game offers a unique set of building combinations. Each game ten of the cards are flipped to their alternative side to add diversity and difference. The rotating and moving tradespeople are a great way of having stability of action choices without the staleness of the game board every time.
Puzzling – for those that like the dance of resource management and solving the movement aspect of the dials will love how Black Forest implements this. Knowing what resources will trigger your production is a fine art and is the whole focus of which resources you need when to build bigger and better buildings.
Satisfaction – every point in Black Forest is earned and many of the cheaper buildings only offer a handful. Balancing speed and tact is key as you rotate the wheel towards the endgame. You’ll also need those larger buildings which cost more glass but provide extra points, pushing you towards a winning score.
Momentum – unlike other Euros which rise and rise and rise towards an unstoppable machine of greatness, Black Forest offers a rise and fall throughout the game. By spending resources, you in turn offer opportunities to build more stuff! While the tiles you purchase get somewhat easier to purchase and play, there is still that element of hard work to achieve a high-value building before anyone else can.
Black Forest builds on the legacy of Glass Road’s dials by eliminating the card-driven element. This new title offers a simple and easy stroll through the woods. While efficiency and making the most of turns are important, the most crucial aspect is simply moving the wheel and building. Others may have their own plans and influence yours, but Black Forest is about seeing the forest for the trees.
For anyone wanting a cosy but informative time while gaming Black Forest just might be right for you. It is heavy for sure but has this easy of game play, an openness which I appreciate and drew me to the game. I knew that it’s theming and the worker placement element were perfectly worked and interwoven. For fans of wine pressing Viticulture or the puzzle of The White Castle will appreciate this title immensely.
In my two playthroughs I found applying the rules easy and had no need to refer to them upon playing. For any Euro lovers this will feel familiar, with all the resources and choices making sense. All the buildings and their actions are clear and easy to interoperate too. It is comfortable time of building and cleaning room on my estate. I love the option of different game style with one where I focused on cows and another where I dipped my toe into everything.
Black Forest is a hidden gem among the forest of choices.
