Welcome to Rise of the Forest! If this is your first time playing, you can watch our helpful “How to Play” video above or view the full rulebook PDF below.

Rise of the Forest is more than just a tower defense game, it's a game of strategy. With a wide range of keywords and cards at your disposal, strategic thinking is essential. On this page, you'll find detailed stats and descriptions for every card in the game, organized by type.

Strategy plays a crucial role. You'll need to adapt your plays based on your opponent’s actions. Here are some key tips to help you succeed:

Track Building

Strategy begins as early as track construction. As the Lightborn, place your tower tiles where they’ll be most effective, ideally covering large portions of the track or forcing the Shadowborn into suboptimal placements. As the Shadowborn, be on the lookout for these setups and counter them by shaping the track to reduce the effectiveness of tower tile positions.

Card Strategies

The cards in Rise of the Forest have many different abilities and interactions. Here you can find a list of every card in the game. Check them out to gain a strategic advantage against your opponent, or just admire the pixel art. It’s up to you!

Adapt to the Opponent

Pay close attention to your opponent’s cards. If you see the Shadowborn playing high-movement units, position high-damage Lightborn near the end of the track and high-range units near the beginning. As the Shadowborn, look for gaps in the Lightborn’s defenses and play units likely to exploit them. A good tactic is to stack slow-moving units first to absorb damage, allowing faster units to slip through more easily in the next turn.

Pictures are of an early playtest copy, contents are subject to change on official release*