Wilderness

About this board game

Wilderness is a survival race for 2–8 players that takes about 60 minutes, challenging everyone to reach a civilized village before hunger, thirst, exhaustion, or other dangers prove fatal.

Stranded without proper clothes or equipment, each player must find a route through an unexplored landscape. The board is discovered gradually, with tiles arranged in changing combinations and orientations to make the journey uncertain from game to game.

Your health is tracked through three linked conditions: thirst, hunger, and exhaustion. These worsen over time, and thirst and hunger contribute to exhaustion, which determines how much energy you have available. Energy lets you walk, search for food, or rest, while sleep is essential for regaining strength.

• Explore terrain including mountains, woods, swamps, and other challenging areas.
• Search for food and water while managing limited energy.
• Endure sicknesses, weather, and the dangers of the wilderness.
• Watch for wolves, bears, snakes, and predator lairs.
• Use a limited supply of cards to help yourself or thwart opponents in certain situations.

Predators are especially dangerous: they attack with two dice while you defend with only one, increasing your exhaustion by the difference. They can also scent you from a mile away, making encounters a constant threat as you push onward.

Each day has six turns—four during the day and two at night—with different special rules for each day. The standard game uses six landscape tiles, while four tiles create an easier, shorter version and all eight available tiles provide a longer, more demanding journey.

In Wilderness, every decision weighs immediate progress against survival. Find what you need, conserve your strength, and reach civilization before the wild claims you.