Visitor in Blackwood Grove

About this board game

Visitor in Blackwood Grove is an asymmetric inductive-reasoning game for 3–6 players that plays in about 15 minutes. One player becomes the Visitor, while the others take the roles of the Kid and the Federal Agents.

A spacecraft has crashed in Blackwood Grove, but its crushing forcefield prevents anyone from reaching it. The Visitor creates a secret rule—such as “things that contain metal”—to decide which objects can pass through the forcefield and which are repelled.

The Agents secretly test cards from their hands, using the results to work out the rule. The Kid instead tries to predict which cards will pass. Each correct prediction helps the Kid build trust with the Visitor, bringing them closer to solving the mystery together.

• Visitor: Creates the secret rule and hopes the Kid can discover it.
• Kid: Predicts which objects pass and works with the Visitor.
• Agents: Test cards and compete to uncover the rule.

The Visitor and Kid form one team, but choosing the right difficulty is crucial. If the rule is too easy, the Agents may solve it first. If it is too difficult, nobody can identify it and the Agents win. A rule that is just right lets the Kid figure it out before the Agents, giving both the Kid and Visitor victory.

With its compact play time and unusual two-versus-many structure, Visitor in Blackwood Grove focuses on observation, deduction, and carefully chosen clues. The game was a BostonFIG Fest 2017 Audience Choice Award recipient, an IndieCade 2017 Official Selection, a Mensa Mind Games 2019 finalist, and an Indie Mega Booth PAX East 2018 Official Selection.