Backwoods (2021) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Backwoods is a board game released in 2021, designed by Ryan K Williams and featuring artwork by Most High Design. It falls into the adventure category, specifically focusing on the American West theme. The game is designed for 1-4 players, with a playing time of 60-120 minutes and is suitable for ages 14 and up. Backwoods incorporates various game mechanisms such as cooperative gameplay, deck-building, dice rolling, grid movement, and push your luck mechanics.

Game Components of Backwoods

Game Box: Smaller than a Ticket to Ride box, but packed with content.

Boards: Dual-layer boards, linen-finished, for tracking abilities and stats. Each board has a unique graphic.

Tokens: Numerous punchout tokens for the grab bag, including resources and items.

Cards: Various cards such as Events, Night cards, and resource cards.

Dice: A d10 for resolving skill checks and combat.

Bag: A large bag for drawing resources and items.

Rulebook: Styled like a survival/bird manual, though somewhat complex.

How To Setup Backwoods

Setting up Backwoods involves arranging the dual-layer boards, shuffling and placing the card decks, and distributing the starting resources. Players each receive a player board to track their abilities, health, faith, and hypothermia. The game starts with each player having one food and their player board set up to track stats and skills. The center action board is used to guide the players through the different phases of each round. For a detailed setup, the rulebook and additional resources on the game’s website are recommended.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Cooperative Gameplay: Players work together to survive and find the Fort.

Bag-Building: Players build and fill their bag with resources as they progress through the game.

Exploration: Players explore different regions, scouting or moving in blind, and setting up a map of the explored areas.

Resource Management: Managing food, water, and other resources to survive.

Crafting and Building: Using resources to build essential items like a fire to fight hypothermia.

Combat and Events: Engaging in combat with wildlife and resolving Events and Night cards, which can have good or bad outcomes.

Objective: The primary goal is to find the Fort while surviving the harsh environment.

Player Experience

In Backwoods, players immerse themselves in a survival adventure, making tough decisions, facing divergent story events, and experiencing triumphant moments. Each round, players explore new regions, forage for resources, craft essential items, and fight off predators and hypothermia. The game is rife with challenges, including Events and Night cards that add an element of unpredictability, making the journey to the Fort both thrilling and demanding.

Pros

Engaging Cooperative Mechanics: Players must work together to survive, enhancing teamwork and strategy.

High Replayability: Diverse events and random resource draws ensure each playthrough is unique.

Immersive Theme: The game’s theme and components effectively create a survival atmosphere.

Depth in Resource Management: Players must carefully manage resources to stay alive.

Cons

Complex Rulebook: The rulebook can be challenging to follow, requiring additional resources for clarity.

Steeper Learning Curve: The game mechanics, especially the bag-building and resource management, may take time to grasp.

Personal Thoughts on Backwoods

Backwoods is ideal for fans of cooperative games and those who enjoy resource management and survival themes. It is particularly suited for players who appreciate depth in gameplay mechanics and are willing to invest time in learning the rules. The game’s immersive atmosphere and high replayability make it a great addition to any board game collection, especially for those who enjoy strategic cooperative gameplay.

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