GrandBois is a charming and strategic tile-placement board game set in a mystical forest inhabited by five unique animal clans—Rabbits, Foxes, Lizards, Frogs, and Raccoons. Each player secretly represents one clan and must carefully expand their influence without revealing their identity too soon.
The game revolves around placing forest tiles composed of four smaller squares, each showing clan members, empty forest, or dangerous bears. Placement requires tactical thinking: players can cover existing squares only if certain rules are followed, such as using a tile with more clan members or using a bear to overpower others.
As the forest expands, players may place a watchtower on a tile, which becomes a major source of points. But the tower’s scoring depends on surrounding squares, meaning its placement can unintentionally reveal your clan—adding tension and bluffing to every move.
When the forest is complete, players reveal their hidden clan and score points based on:
How many of their clan’s squares are covered
The size of their largest contiguous territory
Adjacent tiles influencing their watchtower
Additional bonus chestnuts based on opponent territories nearby
The player with the most golden chestnuts wins.
With its beautiful artwork, simple rules, and clever hidden-role mechanics, GrandBois offers a satisfying blend of strategy, deduction, and spatial puzzle-solving suitable for families and hobby gamers alike
