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THE GAME SHELF · family

Shadows in the Forest

Turn off the lights. One player becomes the Shadowling keeper and sneaks through the forest while everyone else hunts them using a lantern. You are tracking movement through shadows and light instead of simply moving pieces around a board, which makes this one feel completely different from the usual family game. Mysterious and tense without being a scary game.

Jessica's Pick

  • 2–7 players
  • 1 hr to play
  • some setup, then it flows
  • 8+ years and up
  • Some noise

$8 / night

The Crate Discount: every extra game in your order drops $4 off its own price.
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Shadows in the Forest box art

WHY RENT THIS ONE

Why it's worth a spot on your weekend

“Turn off the lights. Let the shadows play.”

Turn off the lights. Grab the lantern. Something is moving in the forest.

Shadows in the Forest is one of those rare family games that changes the entire feeling of the room. One player secretly moves the Shadowlings through the forest while everyone else searches for them using a lantern, watching the shadows and trying to figure out where they are hiding.

It has the excitement of hide-and-seek and the mystery of a nighttime adventure without turning into a horror game. That makes it a particularly fun choice for families looking for something unusual and memorable. Perfect for a sleepover, a rainy evening, or a family weekend when you want to turn the lights down and try something completely different.

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Good to know

  • Table space

    Needs a decent-sized table — a coffee table will not do it.

  • Reading load

    Some reading, but not enough to slow the game down.

  • Getting knocked out

    Nobody gets knocked out. Everyone plays to the last turn.

  • Pausing mid-game

    Easy to pause. If someone has to step out, the table survives.

  • Setup time

    About 10 minutes of setup before anyone touches a piece.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Renting, answered

Can I rent Shadows in the Forest near Plattekill?

Yes — Shadows in the Forest is part of the Deep Space Family Games game shelf, available to rent by the night around Plattekill and the wider Hudson Valley area. Roughly 30 minutes out from Plattekill in every direction — delivery and local pickup only. Nothing to walk into.

Is requesting Shadows in the Forest a real reservation?

No — every button on this page is a request, not a booking. Deep Space Family Games doesn't run live availability, so we confirm by hand once you tell us you want Shadows in the Forest and when.

What happens if a piece from Shadows in the Forest goes missing?

Shadows in the Forest, like every game on the shelf, is counted against a written list before it goes out and again when it comes back, so a missing piece is a conversation with a number behind it, not a guess.

MORE FROM THE SHELF

You might also like

Add all 4 to one request, delivery is still a single trip, and The Crate Discount drops $4 off every one but the priciest.

psst — add another and every game but the priciest one drops $4, automatically.

Request them all

SHELF NOTES

How we'd sum it up

Remember the sticker Blockbuster used to slap on the video case, the one that told you everything before you'd even flipped it over? That's the idea here.

  • Hidden Movement
  • Shadows
  • Lantern
  • Atmospheric
  • Family
  • Kids
  • Strategy
  • Non Scary
  • Unique

Ready to play Shadows in the Forest?

Tell us when you want it, and we'll confirm what it comes to.

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