Chickwood Forest

Stack the castles with treasure and traps, raid one, then buy glory by giving the loot away.

Designer: Matt Loomis
Published by: Zoch Verlag
Editions by: Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.

Scout the castles, pick one to raid, then decide how much of the loot you hand to the poor. Glory comes from being both the boldest thief and the most generous benefactor, which is exactly the tension the game runs on.

Face-down cards make every castle a gambleSteal first, then compete at giving it awaySmall box, forty-five minutes, up to five players

Who it's for

Groups who like bluffing and second-guessing, and want more bite than a typical card game without a two-hour commitment.

Not for you if…

You want your plan protected from other people: a raid can go badly through no fault of yours, and the scoring across raiding and almsgiving takes a game or two to click. It is also fairly hard to find.

Vibe's take

Sly and social. You spend the whole game reading the table, since the castle you seed is often the one you hope somebody else walks into.