Winter Rabbit – A Quietly Clever Game of Cooperation and Trickery

When I first came across Winter Rabbit, I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of experience it would offer. The title sounded gentle, almost whimsical, and the artwork gave off a calm, almost storybook-like charm. However, once I read that the premise was rooted in Cherokee folklore, with a semi-cooperative twist, I realised this wasn’t just another cozy woodland game. It had a bit more going on beneath the surface.

Winter Rabbit promised a game that wasn’t loud or flashy, but one that might linger in your mind long after the pieces were packed away. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder: would this game be a winter wonderland of clever mechanics and rich storytelling, or would it leave us feeling frozen out in the cold?

Set Up

Game Setup

1. Set up the game board in the center of the table.
2. Place the Rabbit-shaped Season Tracker on the left-most space of the Season Track.
3. Place 3 Rabbit Villagers in the bag.
4. Place the 4th Rabbit Villagers on the 3rd space of the Season Track.
5. Place the 4 Frost Tokens on the 4th space of the Season Track.
6. Place a Conservation Token on 2 spaces of each of the 6 Production Locations.
7. Place a Storehouse Tracker of matching colour on each of the 3 “0” spaces of the Storehouse.
8. Shuffle the Village Card Deck. Place 1 Village card face-up in each of the 4 Village Card Spaces below the game board. Place the rest of the deck in its designated space.
9. Shuffle the Story Card Deck. Place one Story Card face-up in each of the 3 Story Card Spaces to the right of the game board. Place the rest of the deck in its designated space.
10. Shuffle the Task Card Deck. Deal 7 Task Cards to each player. Place the deck nearby. In a 2-player game, deal 11 cards to each player instead.
11. Refer to the chart on the right. Based on the number of players, take the number of Villager Tokens indicated on the table to be Neutral Villagers. These should be a character that no player selected. Put these Neutral Villager tokens in the bag

Player Setup

• Each player should do the following:
• Pick a character and take the corresponding Player Board.
• Take the 2 Starting Resources indicated on your Player Board and place them on any 2 (Baskets) on your Player Board.
• Looking at the table below, take the number of indicated for your player count. Return the rest to the box.
• Place 1 of your on your player board. In a 6-player game, skip this step.
• Place 1 of your on the 2nd space of the Season Tracker.
• Place the rest of your in the bag.
• Place your Score Tracker at the space of the Score Track.
• Choose a Task Card from your hand to play for the first Season. Place it face-down in front of you. Once all players have chosen a Task Card, turn them face-up at the same time. In a 2-player game, play 2 Task Cards instead.

Game Play

I could try to explain all the rules and gameplay mechanics myself, but honestly, this five-minute video just does a way better job than I ever could. It’s clear, quick, and kind of makes you wonder why you’d read a wall of text when you could just watch it.

Gameplay Experience

Winter Rabbit is based on a Cherokee fable, which immediately pulled me in. Storytelling in games has always fascinated me—especially when it’s rooted in real traditions and cultural history. There’s something meaningful about stepping into a world crafted with authenticity, rather than one loosely inspired by folklore for the sake of novelty.

Back in 2001, I spent three days in the Navajo Nation in Arizona. It was one of those experiences that sticks with you, reshapes how you see things. I remember eating Navajo tacos, watching traditional dances, listening to stories that had been passed down for generations. It was immersive, powerful—honestly, I wish I had spent weeks there instead of days. That memory rushed back when I learned Winter Rabbit was based on Cherokee folklore. And the fact that everyone involved in making the game is of Cherokee heritage? That sealed it.

Setting it up, it was immediately clear how much care went into its design. The artwork is stunning;deeply tied to Cherokee culture and the fable is woven throughout the game in a way that feels intentional, not just pasted on as a theme. That level of thoughtfulness made me even more invested.

But a game isn’t just about aesthetics. The real question is: How does it play?

Gathered around the dining table, we read through the rules. My friends were excited about the cooperative elements; well, sort of cooperative. There are some cheeky hidden mechanics that add this underlying tension. You want to trust the others, but also… should you? Not entirely. And the moment someone makes an odd move, paranoia sets in. It’s not a full-blown social deduction game, but it definitely plays with that idea.

Then there was Steph. One of the kindest people I know, the type who wouldn’t hurt a fly. And yet, in Winter Rabbit, she became the “Wascally-est” wabbit ever, dismantling us in Game 1 with ruthless efficiency. I swear, I saw a whole new side of her. She’s someone I’d trust with my life… but not in this game.

The conversations Winter Rabbit sparks are hilarious. “Did you just send a rabbit to the forest?” Someone shrugs. Another smirks. Someone else offers an extremely unconvincing denial. And Steph, smiling sweetly, just says, “Oh, did I?”

One of the strongest aspects of Winter Rabbit is how it balances cooperation with mischief. The hidden worker placement is genuinely fresh and creates moments of second-guessing that feel very human. The game encourages interaction in a way that feels organic and not forced. And while the social deduction elements are a huge draw, there’s also a clever resource-management mechanic that’s fully cooperative. It’s a game with layers. A mix of teamwork and distrust, constantly overlapping. It’s chaotic. It’s clever. And honestly? It’s just a lot of fun.

Artwork

Winter Rabbit is more than a game, it’s a window into Cherokee storytelling, woven with a level of care that makes every piece feel intentional. There’s no sense that the narrative was just tacked on for flavour; instead, it’s deeply embedded into the mechanics and artwork, reinforcing the themes at every turn. And that matters. Because when a game draws from real traditions, it needs to do more than just reference them or feel like an after thought. Especially when the history it is drawing from is so old, and has so much history. It needs to respect the heritage, and give players a sense of immersion and education or understanding of said history. The art does this beautifully

The components themselves are beautiful. Not just well-made, but crafted in a way that supports the game’s atmosphere. The artwork isn’t just decoration; it feels like part of the experience, guiding how the story unfolds. The White Rabbit illustrations, in particular, stand out. There’s a quiet elegance to them; almost like something pulled from a myth and printed directly on the cards.

Final Thoughts

That’s the thing that sets Winter Rabbit apart. It doesn’t feel like a game forcing players into predefined roles; rather, it plays out in response to how each group approaches it. Some will lean into the strategy, others into the playful deception. Some will let the folklore guide them, crafting their own interpretations as they play. It’s flexible, alive in a way that feels almost personal. Like holding a storybook where you’re in charge—not just flipping pages, but shaping how it unfolds.

Winter Rabbit is not trying to be the next big eurogame. It is quieter than that. More personal. It invites players to lean in, to listen, and to second-guess. It is about cooperation, but also about mischief. About doing your part, but maybe not all of it. It’s rare for a game to feel this cohesive, where every element feeds into the next. But Winter Rabbit pulls it off effortlessly, giving players a blend of narrative depth, strategic play, and cultural richness that sticks with you long after the final move.

Winter Rabbit shines with players who enjoy subtle interaction and a bit of narrative flavour. It is not a loud game, but it lingers, like a story you heard once, long ago, that still makes you smile when you think about it.

It caught me off guard in the best way. It’s more than just a game, it’s a story that unfolds with every decision, every fleeting moment of trust (or doubt). And long after the final move, it stays with you. The kind of experience that lingers, like a tale passed down, one that makes you smile whenever you think about it. I can’t talk more highly about this game!