Skulk Hollow

A tactical duel between woodland clans, driven by command cards and a tight budget of action points.

Designers: Seth Johnson, Eduardo Baraf, Keith Matejka
Published by: Pencil First Games, LLC
Editions by: Thunderworks Games

Skulk Hollow is a two-player skirmish game in which the animals of the ancient woodland of Børe fight for control after the Guardians have risen. Pick one of four clans: the Foxen Kingdom, the Red Pandas of Cupboard, the Mice of Multon or the Blackheart Bunnies. Each clan plays differently, with its own powers, and you steer your forces with a hand of command cards and a limited pool of action points. Think of a compact duel where every card has to do double duty. About forty minutes, designed for exactly two, and the cartoon-woodland look is a little more cunning than it first appears.

Four asymmetric woodland clansCommand cards plus action pointsBuilt for exactly two players

Who it's for

You want a compact two-player skirmish with asymmetric sides, something between a card game and a tabletop battle, and you like animals and tactics together.

Not for you if…

You need more than two players or a cooperative game. It is a head-to-head duel and nothing else.

Vibe's take

Tactical and tight: you never have enough actions for everything you would like to do, so every turn is a small puzzle. The four clans feel distinct, and the animal art gives a friendly wrapper to a fairly pointed fight.