Which Expansion

Forest Shuffle expansions

Base game: 2–5 players40–60 minLookout Games3 expansions checked
  1. #1 overall

    Forest Shuffle: Alpine

    Buy this first

    BGG rates it 8.2 from 3,642 ratings, the highest of the three. It is the expansion used in the online BGA arena play, per a BGG poster, and shuffles straight into the deck.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: 36 multifunctional cards, including two new tree species, that you shuffle into the base deck; some cards add rule twists.

    Expansion2–5 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any group
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Amazon
  2. #2 overall

    Forest Shuffle: Woodland Edge

    Worth it

    BGG rates it 8.1 from 2,744 ratings. BGG posters are split on whether it beats Alpine, but one says the two together create far more combos than either alone.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: 36 new cards of flora and fauna, including shrubs, that you shuffle into the base deck.

    Expansion2–5 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any group
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Amazon
  3. #3 overall

    Forest Shuffle: Exploration

    Most groups can skip

    BGG rates it 7.75 from 1,378 ratings. BGG posters say it is mainly for the solo mode, caves and collected promo cards, and one is disappointed it is not much for multiplayer.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: A 20-card official solo Automa deck with 12 challenges, five asymmetrical caves replacing the base caves, and 15 rare species cards that were earlier promos.

    Fixes: Adds a solo mode; the base game has no official solo play.

    Expansion1–5 playersAbout the same rules loadBest for casual groups
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Amazon

Stuck between two?

Forest Shuffle expansions: quick answers

Which Forest Shuffle expansion should I buy first?

Forest Shuffle: Alpine. BGG rates it 8.2 from 3,642 ratings, the highest of the three. It is the expansion used in the online BGA arena play, per a BGG poster, and shuffles straight into the deck.

Is Forest Shuffle: Alpine worth it?

Our verdict: buy this first. It adds: 36 multifunctional cards, including two new tree species, that you shuffle into the base deck; some cards add rule twists.

Forest Shuffle: Alpine or Forest Shuffle: Woodland Edge: which first?

We’d buy Forest Shuffle: Alpine first. See the side-by-side comparison for what each adds and needs.

Other games’ expansion guides

Same publisher

Rankings are our editorial picks, built from the reviews linked on each expansion page. Last checked 2026-10-15.