Overall great game. It's interesting gameplay for adults and simple enough rules for kids to follow. Only thing that could be improved is the rulebook is a little unclear at times.
Fun to play, easy to pick up and a game that I can travel with
The packaging was very nice and beautiful. I haven't had a chance to play it with friends and family yet, but I appreciated the amount of obvious care that went into this that I felt I had to give it a good review.
I love this game so far. The art is super pretty, and the game play is really great too. Can't wait for the next game!
I don’t normally love take that mechanisms in games, but I feel like the thematic approach during play was a really fun interaction. I definitely preferred a 3-6 player game over the 2 player experience, but the fun came from planning out your woods just right and not letting your opponents get the cards that would hurt you the most, if you could. Thanks Joel for the wonderful art as always! Makes the game so much cooler, pun intended!
The problem with buying a game off of Kickstarter is there are no reviews to help guide your decision. In this case it was a really good one. Winterhaven Woods is a simple, well thought out game that still requires some strategy. It's easy to figure out yet requires you to think as much about what your opponents are doing as what you want to do. I like the fact that you can steal cards from your opponents but get penalized if you abuse that privilege. Also, the artwork is wonderful. I just wish they would sell some Winterhaven Woods themed placemats to help you lay out your cards while playing.
Such a chill game. Simple. Deep. Playing Winterhaven Woods is like a guided meditation.
Great card game, awesome graphics and a well thought through theme. Gameplay is quick and whilst there is an element of take that, I really like the nastiness penalty. Take advantage in the game a few too many times and when it comes to final scoring you could loose out big time... One of our personal favourites.
Fun and easy to learn. Our game night group loved it as well! One of our group made an army of hedgehogs every round, and ended up winning. Such a fun game, and I can't wait till my kids are old enough to play too.
Great family game! Wonderful artwork! Just the right time of play length and complexity for such an engaging card game!
We played a few times and maybe we'll play more in the future, but the kids were not too captivated. Maybe they will give it another try and come to enjoy it. But I must contrast this with a board game we recently bought which they really enjoyed. I could tell that they were more engaged with the board game interactions than with the card game. Both games had similar themes and beautiful art. My children which tried the game are 10 and 8. These are the same children who played the board game with me. The board game is more complex than the card game.
Hi Jeffrey! As a dad I totally get that scenario all too well. I'd love to know which game your kids loved because honestly not every game is for everyone, and being able to recommend games for that age range based on others experience is super helpful! Appreciate your thoughts!
I have mostly played this with my 6 year old daughter who loves the cards and can understand the game at the most basic setup. It can also get very complicated depending on how you play it, so the game has an impressive age range. We haven’t even broken into the Kickstarter expansion cards yet. I am impressed both by the games as well as the frequent updates on Kickstarter.
An easy to teach, fun to play, card drafter. This game is great - highly recommended. The artwork is fantastic.
I like the game, but the gamers in my group don't like it as much so I have only been able to play three times.
Game was enjoyed by our family. Great artwork, theme and game play.
Everything was smooth, they were always in touch, and delivered on time.
The game is a quick set collection with beautiful artwork and fun gameplay mechanics. Switch up the scoring criteria with expansion sets and you’ll have a good time for sure! Great with our party of 3 players.
I like the game a lot, but the take-that cards (especially the beaver) just feel a bit too savage. Even the recommended rule to make them less mean isn’t really enough. We ended up taking half of them out when we played, just so they came up less often.
Thank you for your thoughts Mark! The Beavers have always been semi problematic (the started as fire but then I took a different art direction) which was why I implemented 'you have to steal from the largest woods of any player other than yourself' restriction. I appreciate your suggestion of only having 2 and will play test that for future printings!
This game was exactly what I was looking for: a fun and easy to teach card game with lovely art. I have a lot of friends and family that are limited in their gaming experience and this game has been perfect to get them interested.
Winterhaven Woods is a lovely game. The theme is well thought out, the illustrations are gorgeous and the gameplay is fast and varied. The short game time and numerous optional changes the expansion adds keeps the game fresh. The 2 player mode is fun but it really shines once you get 3 or more players.
Highly recommended
I like this game, but I don't care for the different hand sizes with different player counts. This is especially true since it was omitted from the rulebook. The game also feels very short (which isn't always a bad thing), but there have been times that it has felt a turn or two too short. However, I love the artwork, which was the main reason I purchased the game.
Upon receiving my Kickstarter set, I sat with my wife and 11yo daughter and played a game of Winterhaven Woods and iits ease, depth and charm made it an instant favourite for our family and one we now play regularly in the evenings.
One of my favorite games! Very relaxing, not complicated, and especially beautiful with its artwork. Use it as one of the regular evening family event)
Many groups have said they love the art and concept. One of the lucky groups got to keep my high quality PnP version, when the final one came in.