Wouter & Ymke 
The forest is in need of protection, and the spirits of summer and winter are both determined to take on the role. Each has its own way of defending the land, and neither is willing to back down. In Living Forest Duel, you choose a side and try to become the forest’s next guardian.
This version of Living Forest is designed specifically for two players. It keeps the main mechanisms of the original game but adjusts them to work in a more focused, direct setup.
👥 2 players, ages 10+
⌛ Playing time: 20 minutes
📝 Designer: Aske Christiansen
🎨 Artwork: Apolline Etienne
🏢 Publisher: Ludonaute (review copy provided by Asmodee Belgium)
Gameplay Overview
In Living Forest Duel, you win by being the first to meet one of four possible victory conditions. These are: planting a 3 by 3 grid of trees, collecting eight fire tokens, having only animals of your own season in the recruitment line, or moving the Onibi spirit into your opponent’s camp for the second time.
On your turn, you choose between two actions. The first is drawing a guardian animal card. At the beginning of the game, these cards are neutral and go into a shared help line in the middle of the table. Later on, you’ll also draw seasonal animals that go into your personal help line. These only contribute to your own actions.
The second option is using an action token. You place one of your arrow tokens beside the symbol that matches the action you want to take. To determine the strength of the action, count the matching symbols in the help line, starting from the beginning up to your token, or from the previous token if one is already pointing to the same symbol. Then add any matching symbols in your personal help line and forest. You carry out the action with that total strength.
There are several types of actions. You can recruit guardian animals from your recruitment line, using the appropriate symbols to pay their cost. The recruited cards are replaced from your personal deck. You can extinguish fires by collecting fire tokens from the clearing. The number you can take depends on your water value. You can also plant protective trees, which give you permanent bonuses and contribute to one of the victory conditions. Finally, you can move the Onibi spirit forward through the clearing, bringing it closer to your opponent’s camp.
Drawing guardian animal cards is not without risk. Some animals are solitary, and if too many of these are revealed, you may lose one or both of your action tokens for the round. However, some animals are gregarious and can cancel out the effects of solitary animals. There are also Sanki cards, which can be gained through bonus actions. They let you either remove a fire varan card when it appears or take an extra action on your turn.
The round ends when both players have placed or lost both of their action tokens. You then check whether the total fire value in the clearing exceeds your water value. If it does, fire varan cards are added to the discard pile, which can later appear in draws and reduce your options. New fires are also added based on the position of the Onibi.
The game ends immediately when one of the victory conditions is met. The player who achieves it is the winner.
Game Info
Living Forest Duel is a two-player board game designed by Aske Christiansen and illustrated by Apolline Etienne. It was published by Ludonaute in March 2025 and builds on the world and gameplay of Living Forest, which previously won both the 2022 Kennerspiel des Jahres and the As d’Or – Jeu de l’Année (Initié). This edition simplifies the setup and narrows the scope to just two players, while keeping the central spirit of the game intact. It is suitable for ages 10 and up, and most games wrap up in about 20 minutes. You might find yourself saying “just one more” more often than you think.
Artwork and Components
Visually, Living Forest Duel continues in the style of the original game, with illustrations by Apolline Etienne that give the forest a slightly surreal, lively atmosphere. Each animal card has its own charm, from soft-looking snow monkeys with glowing eyes to boldly coloured peacocks and panthers that seem halfway between a fairy tale and a forest documentary. The difference between the seasons is immediately visible. Summer animals come in warm greens and golden hues, while winter creatures are wrapped in cool blues and purples. This not only looks lovely but makes the two sides easy to tell apart at a glance.
The layout is clean and practical. The game centres around a row of seven clearing cards that form a horizontal landscape, acting as both the visual heart of the game and a functional part of gameplay. Most of the components are cards or tiles, and while the game doesn’t take up much space, it fills the table with colour and structure. Tree cards show winding rivers that help guide placement and keep your forest looking like an actual ecosystem rather than a random patch of woodland.
Element symbols are marked on wooden signposts printed directly onto the cards, and their placement is consistent across all animals and trees. This makes it easy to see what each card offers without much squinting or second-guessing. Things like bonus actions, costs, and special traits are clearly separated, so you’re not constantly rechecking rules. Even the Onibi, represented by a chunky flame-shaped standee, adds a bit of height and urgency to the otherwise flat setup. It is the kind of component that doesn’t just look nice but also quietly reminds you that something fiery is creeping your way.
The quality of the components is solid overall. The cards handle frequent shuffling well, and the small tokens are easy to manage. Everything fits comfortably in the box, which is compact enough to travel with but still feels full once set up.
Rulebook and Learning Curve
The rulebook does a decent job guiding you through the game. It is clearly organised, moving from setup to gameplay in a straightforward way. If you have played Living Forest before, you will feel right at home, but even if you are new to the world, the rules are not too intimidating. The included examples are helpful, especially for things like how solitary and gregarious animals interact, or how to count symbols during action selection.
There are a few moments where the explanations feel a bit dense, particularly when it comes to how action tokens affect symbol counting. You might end up rereading a section or two, especially if you are learning the game without help. A few more diagrams would not have hurt, particularly in areas like tree placement or Onibi movement, where things can feel abstract at first.
That said, the game plays smoothly once you have finished a round or two. It is one of those games where the rules seem more complicated in writing than they feel in play.
Gameplay and Flow
Living Forest Duel lands comfortably in the light to medium weight category. It is not a filler game, but it also does not require a pot of coffee and a spreadsheet. The pace is brisk, decisions matter, and the interaction between players is constant. It is especially well suited to couples or gaming duos who enjoy direct competition without too much overhead.
You will find a mix of push-your-luck card drawing, resource management, and tactical positioning. The action system rewards careful timing, especially when deciding where to place your tokens and which animals to recruit. And since many resources are shared, every decision is part opportunity, part denial. Grab that animal now or risk it boosting your opponent next turn?
The game also hides a bit more depth than you might expect. For example, taking an animal from your opponent’s season might bring you closer to victory, but it also sends that card to the shared discard pile where it could later benefit your rival. You are constantly weighing your own plans against what your opponent seems to be working toward, and ignoring their strategy for too long is an easy way to lose.
Two-Player Focus
This version does not just scale Living Forest down to two. It actively reshapes the experience to fit a tighter, faster pace. Without extra players, there is less waiting and more reacting. Every turn directly affects the other person, and there is very little that feels passive. The win conditions remain the same, but here each feels more immediate. A misstep can cost you the game, and a well-timed move can end it surprisingly fast.
It is also more forgiving when it comes to table space and time. Setup is quick, playtime is short, and the small box makes it an easy game to bring along or play between heavier games.
Final Thoughts
We played Living Forest Duel across multiple sessions, and it consistently delivered that satisfying feeling of “just enough”. It is easy to get into, but rewards planning and attention. And while it does not take itself too seriously, it does reward players who stay focused and time their moves well.
It is not without its small flaws. Some rules, especially around token placement or symbol counting, could be explained more clearly for newcomers. And yes, luck plays a role during the card draw phase, especially when solitary animals show up at the wrong time. But the balance between tactical decisions and occasional surprise keeps things interesting rather than frustrating.
If you enjoy games where you are always involved, where tempo matters, and where every turn feels like it is shaping the outcome, this is a solid pick. It plays well, looks great, and does not outstay its welcome. And if you are anything like us, one match will rarely be enough. A rematch tends to follow shortly after.
Just keep an eye on the Onibi. It has a habit of sneaking up when you least expect it.
📝 We received a review copy from Asmodee Belgium.
