Der König des Waldes

About this board game

Der König des Waldes is a 15-minute card game for 2–4 players, set in a medieval fantasy forest inhabited by animal folk. Each player commands a hand of vassals and aims to finish with more points than anyone else, earning the title of the new King of the Woods.

Every vassal can be played to your own court, where its points contribute to your score, or to one of your opponents’ courts. Sending a vassal elsewhere activates a special beneficial effect for you, but the vassal’s points will then score for that opponent. The central challenge is deciding when an immediate advantage is worth giving another player more points.

At the beginning of the game, players receive a random hand featuring different types of vassals. You must make the best of the cards available to you, adapting your choices as the courts develop. With 11 different vassals in total, each with a unique role and effect, every hand presents its own set of possibilities.

• For 2–4 players
• Approximately 15 minutes of play
• 11 different vassal types, each with a unique role and effect
• Play vassals to your own court for points or to an opponent’s court for a beneficial effect

The game continues until every player has played their entire hand. Once all cards are on the courts, players count their points. The player with the highest total wins and is crowned the new King of the Woods.

With its compact play time, random starting hands, and meaningful choice between scoring for yourself or helping your strategy through an opponent’s court, Der König des Waldes offers a focused card-game contest of timing and tactical decisions.