Saving the world sounds pretty noble. Saving a magical forest while competing against everyone else around the table? That sounds much more like a board game! Whisperwood is a fantasy strategy game that puts players in the robes of powerful Druids tasked with repairing a woodland devastated by dark magic. The forest has been suffering ever since a war with a Dark Sorcerer, leaving its once-thriving landscape corrupted and lifeless.
Now, the Druids have had enough. It’s time to bring Whisperwood back!
Become a Druid!
Players take on the role of members of the Druid Council, with everyone working towards the same broad objective: restoring the forest. That doesn’t mean you’ll all be holding hands and singing around the campfire, though! Each Druid is also competing to become the next Primus of the Council. The player who makes the biggest contribution to the restoration effort will have the best chance of claiming the title.
So while everyone wants Whisperwood to succeed, you’ll still be keeping a very close eye on what your opponents are getting up to.
Fill your bag!
One of the key mechanics in Whisperwood is bag-building. Throughout the game, players develop their own collection of magical energy, gradually improving the resources available to them. Rounds begin with players drawing from their bags and working out what they want to do with the energy they’ve received. Planning happens simultaneously, giving everyone plenty to consider rather than forcing the table to sit around waiting for one player to finish plotting their next move.
Once the planning is finished, players take their turns putting those plans into action.
Bring nature back!
There’s more to restoring Whisperwood than simply removing corruption. Players can harness different elemental powers, interact with the creatures returning to the woodland and use magical runes as they work towards healing the land. Then there are the Guardian Golems. These huge magical beings are scattered throughout the forest, waiting to be awakened. Once activated, they can assist with various tasks and give players another useful tool as their restoration project gathers pace.
There’s plenty going on, and managing those options effectively looks set to be a major part of the challenge.
Watch that corruption!
Of course, dark magic doesn’t disappear just because the Druids have decided they’d quite like their forest back. Corruption is an important part of Whisperwood, and players can take it on themselves while attempting to cleanse the woodland. The problem is that corruption comes with a price. Take on too much and your abilities can suffer, potentially making it harder to carry out your plans later in the game.
That creates a rather tasty risk-versus-reward decision. Do you take the hit now to make a bigger impact, or keep your corruption under control and play the long game?
A big fantasy adventure!
Whisperwood supports 1 to 4 players and is expected to offer a fairly substantial gaming experience, with playtimes ranging from roughly 50 to 200 minutes depending on the number of players and how the game unfolds. The artwork from Sergio Chaves and Sandara Tang also gives the game a strong fantasy identity, with the corrupted woodland, magical creatures and towering Golems helping to establish the setting. With bag-building, simultaneous planning, elemental powers and a corruption system that can punish players for getting too ambitious, Whisperwood has plenty of interesting ideas packed into its forest.
Saving nature has never looked quite so competitive!
