SHADOWS IN THE FOREST

In the forest, I am hiding from the light. I’m a Shadowling, a curious little creature, always trying to avoid being seen. But today, you, the Seeker, are venturing through the forest with a lantern in hand. Your mission? Find me, expose me, and prove that the legends are true. Can I escape your light and make it through the night unseen?

SETUP

Let’s get started! Place the die near a light source so that it can charge up while we complete the setup. Make sure the gameboard is accessible to all players. Now, take out all the pieces from the punch boards and assemble the Hiding Places.

So here’s the deal: the person who most recently went for a walk in the woods gets to be the Seeker. Their job is to carry the lantern around while the rest of us act as Shadowlings. We need at least three Shadowlings to play, but we can add more if we want. The cool thing is that we’re all on the same team, so we don’t have to worry about who gets assigned as a Shadowling.

First, the Seeker puts masks on all the Shadowlings who are going to play. Then, they place the lantern on one of the red stones at the edge of the board. After that, we all take turns putting our Hiding Places on the board. But there’s a catch: the Hiding Places can’t touch the paths. We want to create a spooky atmosphere, so we darken the room. That way, the only things we can see are the shadows of the Hiding Places.

Now it’s time to get this game started! The Seeker closes their eyes, and the rest of us secretly place ourselves in the best Hiding Places we can find. Just remember, we all have to start in different Hiding Spaces. Once we’re all set, the game begins!

GAMEPLAY

Let’s start the game! I’ll open my eyes and roll the dice to see how far I can move the Lantern along the path on the Game Board. Each stone on the path counts as one space. Once I choose a direction to move, I have to keep going that way, unless I land on a moss-covered stone.

If I only roll a one on my first roll, I get another chance to roll. But here’s the twist – if any of the Shadowlings are exposed to the light, even for a moment, they’ll be frozen and lose their Masks. I’ll collect those Masks and keep them with me until one of the Shadowlings is unfrozen. After my turn is over, I have to close my eyes and let the Shadowlings take their turn.

So, here’s the deal: I’m a Shadowling, and I can only move when I’m in the shadows. If light touches me, I freeze and lose my mask. Pretty tricky, huh? But guess what? I can move anywhere on the board, no rolling dice or staying on the path for me!

Now, if I do get frozen, there’s a way for me to get unfrozen. Another Shadowling can come to the same hiding spot as me and stay there for one turn. If they do that, I’m back in action, and I get my mask back too!

END OF GAME

Here’s how we win: If all the Shadowlings manage to gather together with their masks still on in the same Hiding Place, victory is ours!

But here’s the thing, if the Seeker manages to freeze all of us Shadowlings with their lantern, then they win. Talk about a bummer, right?

So, let the shadows guide me, and let’s outsmart the Seeker!