- Publisher(s) : Ravensburger
- Designer(s) : Stefan Feld
- Artist(s) : Fred Gissubel
- Players : 2–4
- Playing time : 60–90 Min
- Weight BGG : 3.06
What's this?
Druids of Edora is an expert strategy game in which players take on the roles of druids and priestesses exploring a mystical forest dotted with shrines. Their goal: to accumulate as many prestige points as possible by performing rituals, erecting sacred stones, brewing magical potions, and controlling key locations on the board.
How do you play?
A game is played in successive turns, in a clockwise direction, until a player has placed their last die. On each turn, a player follows a sequence of 7 well-defined steps .
1. Moving through the forest
The player begins by moving their pawn from one sanctuary to another along the paths. Each sanctuary traversed and each area of dark forest costs 1 provision . Movement is therefore expensive and must be carefully planned.
2. Place a die
The player then places a die from their personal supply onto an empty action space in the sanctuary they are in.
The cost of the action depends directly on the value of the die : the player must pay as many supplies as the number shown on the die.
3. Solve the competition
If several dice are present on the same shrine, a comparison of values takes place:
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The highest die roll earns its owner 2 prestige points .
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In case of a tie, the knowledge marker breaks the tie between the players.
This mechanism creates a constant tension and reinforces the direct interaction.
4. Perform the sanctuary action
The player then performs the action associated with the occupied space, including:
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Retrieve supplies or dice
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Moving forward on the path of knowledge
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Move the sickle forward to unlock medicinal plants
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Take a stone tablet
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Gather mistletoe to brew potions
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Erecting menhirs or runes
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Add gems to your amulet
These actions are often enhanced by permanent bonuses unlocked as the game progresses.
5. Activate the sacred fires
If the player completely surrounds a fire with their dice, they immediately trigger the indicated bonuses , then cover the fire, making it unavailable for the rest of the game.
6. Connecting dolmens
By creating an unbroken chain of dice between two dolmens of the same color, the player collects them and scores bonus points. The first three connections are even more rewarded, encouraging players to strive for these intermediate goals.
7. Activate the medicinal plants
Finally, the medicinal plants unlocked using the sickle are activated. They offer permanent powers (modifiable dice, improved actions, multipliers, etc.), essential for optimizing your gameplay.
Is it good?
As is often the case with Stefan Feld’s creations, The Druids of Edora positions itself as an “Initiate/Expert” game that seeks depth without being burdened by unnecessarily complex rules.
The game features a clever dice placement mechanic where every value matters, creating constant tension around the shrines and paths. Large dice will allow you to gain majorities and victory points, but they’ll cost you dearly in resources, and vice versa. It’s brilliant, especially since you only roll the dice once: it’s up to you to make the most of the result!
You’ll need to keep a close eye on your opponents to reclaim dolmens, light fires to gain bonuses, brew potions, or rush to grab objective tiles. This game is rich in tactical choices and will really get your brain working. As is often the case with this designer, several strategic paths are available to you in each game. The game’s greatest strength lies in its learning curve: the basic rules are simple, but the multitude of combos (potions, herbs, menhirs) offers tremendous replayability. It bears the signature of “Master Feld”: a generous and satisfying “point salad,” where every action feels rewarding.
However, a few drawbacks remain. The rulebook can be confusing, and the art direction leaves something to be desired: the omnipresent shades of green and the small size of the icons on the tiles sometimes make the game difficult to “read.” Furthermore, as is often the case with Feld games, the theme feels completely tacked on, and this is particularly glaring here: at no point do you feel like a druid deep in the forest. It’s a shame.
Despite this, Druids of Edora remains a rich and fluid strategy game. This “Felden-esque” experience, accessible yet deep thanks to its ingenious dice mechanic, remains a solid choice this year, even if it is hampered by rather bland artwork.
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Druids of Edora Review
Positives
- Ingenious dice mechanic
- Depth and accessibility
- Constant satisfaction
- High replayability
- Combos and a typical Feld point salad
Negatives
- The theme is completely superfluous.
- Readability of the game board and icons
- Art direction
