Wilderness (2011) Board Game

Wilderness is a board game designed by Daniel Fryxelius and released in in 2011. The game is set in a remote wilderness where players must navigate through various terrains and obstacles to reach the finish line. With elements of adventure, exploration, and racing, Wilderness offers a thrilling gameplay experience for 2 to 8 players.

Game Components of Wilderness

Modular Board: Hand-cut landscape tiles that ensure each game is unique.

Hand-painted Metal Figurines: Representing characters and animals.

Cards: Printed by hand, including event cards and health tracking cards.

Dice: Used for dice rolling mechanics.

Player Tokens: Track players’ health, thirst, hunger, and exhaustion.

How To Setup Wilderness

To set up the game, players start by placing the initial landscape tiles on the board. Each player chooses a token and places it at the starting point. Health, thirst, hunger, and exhaustion trackers are distributed. The deck of event cards is shuffled, and each player receives a starting hand. The game can be expanded with additional landscape tiles to vary the game length and complexity.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Action Points: Players use action points to move, rest, or perform actions.

Area Movement: Players navigate through the modular board.

Dice Rolling: Used for resolving certain actions and events.

Hand Management: Players manage their event cards to overcome challenges.

Objective: The goal is to survive the wilderness by balancing health, thirst, hunger, and exhaustion, and reach civilization on the other end of the board.

Player Experience

In **Wilderness**, players embark on a survival adventure, managing their characters’ physical states while navigating through a dynamically revealed landscape. The game is highly interactive, with event cards that can either help or hinder progress. Players must strategize and adapt to the challenges posed by the wilderness, including encounters with wild animals and harsh environmental conditions.

Pros

High Replayability: Each game is unique due to the modular board and random event cards.

Family-Friendly: Suitable for a wide range of players, from 2 to 8.

Immersive Theme: The handmade components and detailed artwork enhance the game’s theme and immersion.

Variable Game Length: Players can choose the game duration by selecting the number of landscape tiles.

Cons

Complex Setup: The game requires careful setup due to its modular nature.

Lengthy Marathon Games: Using all the landscape tiles can result in a very long game session.

Handmade Production: While the handmade components are a strength, they also contribute to a higher production cost.

Personal Thoughts on Wilderness

**Wilderness** is ideal for families and groups of friends who enjoy adventure and survival themes. It appeals to players who value high replayability and are willing to invest time in setting up and playing through a detailed and immersive game. The game’s balance between strategy and luck makes it engaging for both casual and experienced gamers. However, it may not be the best fit for those seeking quick, simple games due to its complexity and potential for lengthy gameplay sessions.

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