Into the Woods: The Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862

About this board game

Into the Woods: The Battle of Shiloh, April 6–7, 1862 is a regimental-level American Civil War game for 1–4 players, with playing times ranging from 3 to 8 hours. Published by GMT Games in 2022, it is the eighth installment in the Great Battles of the American Civil War series.

The game uses the series’ interactive chit-pull system to represent the uncertainty and confusion of 19th-century battlefields. Players experience the Confederate surprise, the inexperience—or “greenness”—of many units on both sides, and the distinctive role played by Confederate commander Albert Sidney Johnston during the attack.

Ten scenarios provide a range of engagements and playing experiences. Some present division-level contests on half-sized maps, while others combine two maps to portray both days of the battle. Experienced players can complete many scenarios in a single sitting, while the medium-high complexity and medium-high solitaire playability offer substantial tactical depth.

• Game turn: 1 hour
• Map scale: 110-yard hexes
• Unit scale: battalions to brigades, mostly regiments
• Scenarios: 10, covering division engagements and the two-day battle

The box includes two large full-color mapsheets, an additional double-sided map, 1,260 counters, the GBACW series rules, a Shiloh battle book, player aids, charts, cards, and two ten-sided dice. Into the Woods continues a design lineage that began with Terrible Swift Sword, while adapting the established rules framework to the battle’s particular conditions.