Why I picked the game
As a naturalist (yes that is the correct one) I loved what this game is about, building up your forest, synergising your animals and plants for the win.
About this game
Forest shuffle is a deck planting game where you have to create a vibrant ecological community by planting trees and shrubs followed by placing different mammals, insects, birds, plants, amphibians and mushrooms to try and score the most points. Some cards individually give you points whilst others combine with other cards. The exploration expansion pack gives you the opportunity for a solo mode where you have to complete a series of different challenges against the automa deck.
Quick thoughts on the base game
I found the game to be quite relaxing but still challenging with an interesting dynamic of not really knowing who's in the lead until you score at the end of the game. Each expansion pack adds to the game without making the game more complicated.
Solo mode
Solo mode is introduced to forest shuffle via the exploration pack and can be played with just the base game or one or both of the other two expansion packs, with you then removing a certain number of cards depending on which packs you are using. You then only use 1 ‘winter is coming’ card and place this shuffled in the final 10 cards of the draw pile. You then shuffle the 20 automa cards and place these face down. Next deal yourself 6 cards and place 5 cards into the clearing.
Once you're set up you can select your first challenge. Each challenge has 3 levels 1, 2 and 3 star. You then play the game the same way as you would the base game with you choosing either to pick up 2 cards or to lay a card. Once you have finished your turn you then draw the top automa card, this will either make you have to draw cards into the clearing , remove cards from the clearing into the discard pile or to remove a card from the draw pile into the discard pile. You then repeat this until you draw the winter is coming card.
This makes for a very challenging gameplay with you not using a full deck, plus the game removing card, it can make it quite tricky to try and achieve your challenge. It’s also a good way to help learn the game and what different strategies you should go for when playing as a group.
So I started with challenge 1 which is bat forest- just using the base game you must have 4 bats in your forest, with the alpine expansion 5 bats and with the alpine and forest edge 6. I went with all 3. For 1 star you needed 200 points, 2 star 300 points and 3 star 400 points. I started off with 1 star. This is how I scored at the end of the game;
Cave - 8 points, I also luckily selected the bat cave from the exploration expansion which gives 3 points×bats = 27. Total 35
Trees
Sycamore - 1 point per tree =12, Stone Pine×2 - 1point per alpine card =22, European Larch×2 - 3 points each =6, Beach×3 - Needs 4 for points=0, Douglas Fir×2 - 5 points each =10, Silver Fir×2 - 2 points per card attached =16. Total 66
Top/bottom cards
Robin - 1 point per insect =3, Bearded Vulture×2 - 1 point per card in cave =16, Chaffinch- 5 points if on beech =5, Eurasian Jay =3, Barn Owl×2 - 3 points per bat =54, Nightingale - Not on shrub =0, Tree Frog×2 - 5 points per gnat =10, Edelweiss =3, Digitalis =1, Blueberry – 2 points per different birds =12. Total 107
Left/right
Bats×9 - 5 points each =45, Crane Fly - 1 point per bat=9, Gnat - 1 point per bat =9, Dormouse×2 - 15 points each =30, Bee Swarm - 1 point per plant =3, Red Panda =2, Badger =2, Genet =5, Sable - 3 points per pawed animal =24, Beech Martin- 5 points per full tree =30, Total 159
Grand total 367
Rare cards
The exploration pack adds 15 new cards to Forrest shuffle dubbed the rare cards. Here my thoughts on them;
O Christmas Tree - Has the same scoring as the silver fir but also allows the last winter card to be reshuffled when first drawn allowing the game to be extend. A good addition
Turkey Oak - 1 point per cloven hoofed animal. Effective with the right game plan.
Moor Birch - Acts as a standard Birch. Disappointing edition
Palm Tree - 1 point per bird. Seems a bit out of place compared to the other cards considering you're missing trees such a Willow, Ash, Redwood, the mighty Scots Pine, but good if you’re collecting birds.
Mistletoe/Wild Tulip - Gives you the only plant that is played above a tree as well as giving you 1 point per plant but does turn the tree into a sapling so could hinder you/ Gives you 3 points. Some interesting elements but a little bit lacking for rare card.
Brimstone/Marsh Cinquefoil - The 8th butterfly species bringing the total points you can score if you collect all the butterflies to 80/ Gives you an interesting plant which gives you more points for the less trees you have. An interesting card with both sides having benefits.
Cardinal/Says Firefly - Allows you to pick up a card for each shrub you have as well as scoring 5 points/ Makes it’s easier to get too 4 fireflies but doesn't give you extra points for the 5th. Yay for the Cardinal nay for the Firefly.
Whinchat/Fire Salamander - Bonus gives you a free card and scores you 1 point per plant/ Give you an extra Salamander you can collect but like the Firefly doesn't give you extra points for the 4th. Can be useful but again a bit lacking for rare card.
Robin - 1 free card and one point per insect. Good not great
Cuckoo - Is placed on top of another bird and gives you 7 points. Very handy
White Stork - Gives you an extra turn and also 1 point per insect and amphibian. Useful
Red Panda - Puts 10 cards into the draw pile. This card caused debate in my family, my sister not liking it saying it didn't go with the rest of the game, where as my nephew loved it as it is his favourite animal. So I like it too.
Genet - 1 free card and five points. Good but could be worth more.
Arctic Fox/Sable - Plays the same as a regular fox but it's very unlikely to be used as the Sable give you ×3 on every pawed animal which includes hares. So it’s a yes for Sable.
Elk/Troll - Gives you a chance for an extra go and a extra card, it also scores you 2 points for every sapling Douglas fir and Birch symbol/ The first card that allows you to affect other players by taking a card from opposing players hands and laying it in the clearing, it also gives you one point per tree. Now I’m not competitive but I do like being able to affect other people's game plans.
Review
Artwork – 5/5. I’m a fan of all the illustrations used on the cards and apart from the elk looking a little moose like it’s an mesmeric view in a wildlife extravaganza.
Complexity - 3/5. I say this about quite a few games but this really is a game in which the best way to learn is to play, the handy scoring cards gives you an easy way to check how things are scored on the back of the instructions gives you an overview of what all the symbols mean. So to play is quite easy but to master takes time.
Replayability - 3/5. Overall there are 12 challenges with each card having a 1,2 and 3 star level so in total 36 different game plays. 108 if you include different expansions. Plenty.
Player interaction - 2/5. Based on the full game, even though it might not seem it at first, I found there to be more interaction then the game would to suggest as you kind of want everyone to build up good forests.
Component quality 4/5. As the base is a card game you can’t really go wrong. The board looks strong enough but the amount of time I’m going to be playing this i would imagine it’s going to get worn.
Comeback ability 5/5. Unless you’re constantly working out people’s score you don’t know who’s winning until you get to the end. I’ve seen wins with totally different strategies, the key it to commit.
Solo mode 5/5. Many different challenges make for a good solo game. Add to that you will play with different cards each time, the randomness to the automa play order this is one of my favourite solo games.
Family 3/5. Hard for younger members to understand because there not an ongoing score. You will also find you dad will spend the entire game trying to ruin everyone else’s game plan.
Boardgamers group.
We loved it . One of our members immediately brought the game for himself helping me discover I’ve been playing it wrong. Trouble when you read the words you think are there. Who can tell the difference between and and or anyway. But be warned you will need a lot of space for this game. Luckily the cafe we use doesn’t mind us having the space. As long as we win the turf war with the crafting group next to us.
Improvements that could be made
· I found some of the rare cards lacking in affecting the game.
· I would of liked to see cards that can connect animals for more points for example a food source they both could eat.
· Some good and evil cards where you can choose to have a good effect for you or play on someone else for a negative effect.
What I liked
· The different levels on each challenge
· Waiting to see what expansions come out next
· The red panda
Final thoughts
For the small box it comes in you get a large game with tones of different strategies you can go for and be successful (You don’t have to rely on getting the oranges) each expansion brings more to your forests and the solo game is a fine complement to it.
