Grand Bois is an Abstract Strategy Tile Placement game produced in India by Dancing Duck Games. The aim is to dominate the forest by your clan and be the players to score the highest Golden Chestnuts.
Game Specifications:
Age Group: 8+ years
No. of Players: 2-4
Game Duration: 30 Minutes
Skills to learn: Territory Building, Strategy, Bluffing
The Box & Components:
The box of Grand Bois appears lean but the components are of superior quality. They slide across each other and have a beautiful matt finish which adds to the appeal of the game.
The game needs considerable space to be played. The players will enjoy building to the forest land. A lot of care has been given to the graphics of the game and it will turn the eyes of the onlookers everytime. We feel that the presence of a playing mat may lead to a smoother play as the cards tend to slide atop a glass table.
How to Play Grand Bois:
After secretly drawing a clan in GrandBois, each player picks a forest tile, which depicts four forest squares that have 1-4 clan members of one of five colors, just forest, or a bear. They then add this tile to the rest of the forest, covering at least one-quarter of an existing tile. You can cover existing squares only if the covering squares have more clan members on them (or a bear as the bear beats them all).
You also have a tower you can place on an empty square of a tile that you just placed, scoring points for having clan members on adjacent tiles — but the sooner you place your tower, the sooner your opponents will have a big clue on which clan actually belongs to you!
Reasons to Love Grand Bois:
The rules of the game are very simple. The game begins from a clear forest which slowly expands as animal clans occupy it. It sounds very familiar. The players keep their clans a secret so it gives way for a lot of misleading play which is very enjoyable. The watchtowers are another method to earn valuable points. The tiles include bears which can be used to trump even the stronger settlements while playing.
Though the game is for 4 players, 5 clans play, so that the players always have an outside opponent to defend against. This fifth clan can be used to mislead your opponents every time. The game is long, but the play is very entertaining with maximum players. The scoring may take some time, but the entertainment element of the game is all but guaranteed.
HAPPY SHUFFLING!
Disclaimer: The review & ratings are our personal opinion and not meant to slander any party.
Content credits: @crumpled_bookshelf
