Withering Grove

You’ve managed to push it back for now. The parasite that has taken root beneath your bark… But it has already taken a heavy toll on your mind. You don’t even recognize your own grove anymore: the branches look unfamiliar, fading away in the fog with your memory. All you know is that your children are out there, scattered and lost, slowly drifting towards madness. The fungus didn’t yet sever the bond you share with them, and you can sense their presence all around you, like spots of light in the darkness. You need to get them to merge back with their tree. Only from their roots will they be able to draw the strength to drive away the parasite. But time is running short, as you can already feel the black tendrils growing back inside you, reaching for what is left of your mind…

In this game, your objective is to guide hamadryads towards their trees to save them from the parasite that is killing them. To achieve this, you will need to navigate the maze-like network formed by the branches of the grove, triggering the ability of every dryad you come across. These abilities will help you move the dryads around, but the more you use them, the more branches you will have to destroy. Once all trees have been damaged, you’ll lose the game if you didn’t manage to save everyone.

Withering Grove is an 18-card game for one player designed by @Qu1rr3l . It is an entry in the 2025 In-Hand Game Design Contest.

No gutter fold files made by @Marcin Jachmann.