Im Märchenwald (In the Fairy Tale Forest) is a card-based adventure game where players navigate through a magical forest grid to rescue a sick princess. The forest is composed of a 7x7 grid of face-down cards that players reveal as they explore. Along the way, obstacles such as goblins, witches, and crows impede the search. The game supports solitaire play as well as multiplayer sessions.
Components
49 Forest cards (forming a 7x7 grid)
Player tokens
Obstacle cards/tokens (Goblins, Witches, Crows)
Princess card
Setup
Shuffle the 49 forest cards.
Lay them face down in a 7x7 grid.
Each player places their token at the designated starting edge.
Set aside any special cards as directed by the rules.
Turn Structure
On your turn:
Move your token to an adjacent card in the grid (orthogonally).
Reveal the card if it is face down.
Resolve the card’s effect (encounter obstacle, find a clue, or discover the princess).
Actions
Movement
Move your token one space in any orthogonal direction (up, down, left, right).
You may only move to adjacent cards in the grid.
Revealing Cards
When you move onto a face-down card, flip it face up.
The card reveals what is in that part of the forest.
Encounters
Goblin: Impedes progress; you must deal with the goblin before continuing (specific rules vary).
Witch: Presents a challenge or setback.
Crow: Blocks your path or redirects you.
Clear path: No obstacle; safe passage.
Princess: Finding the princess begins the rescue — the goal of the game.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
The player who finds and rescues the sick princess wins.
In solitaire mode, success is measured by finding the princess before running out of turns or being stopped by too many obstacles.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
Solitaire play: The game is fully playable solo, making it a puzzle-like experience.
Face-down grid: The hidden information of the 7x7 grid creates exploration and memory elements.
Obstacle variety: Different obstacles have different effects and resolution methods.
Grid navigation: Players must plan routes through the grid while avoiding or managing obstacles.