Forest Of Secrets starts off with the character ostensibly engaged in a simple delivery mission to get some documents from point A to point B, before the player makes their first choice choice in the adventure however the true nature of the adventure is revealed and it takes the form of an escort mission.
Forest Of Secrets differs greatly from most traditional solo D&D adventures and/or adventure game books in that rather than a linear narrative the adventure's progress is driven by exploration of a randomly generated map, more in line with how many 'quest' style board games work. I suspect that whether a player perceives this as a positive or a negative has more to do with personal taste than with objective quality. I will say the upside to the random map generation is that it feels like it inherently gives the adventure a far greater deal of replay value than most solo adventures have, but the corresponding downside is that there is little to no developing narrative during exploration.
Forest Of Secrets took longer to play than Death Queen And The Life Stone which may feel like a more rewarding experience for some players but personally I found the experience to feel somewhat hollow and less satisfying. The NPC that you are escorting through the forest is the single most interesting aspect of the adventure but after her introduction she receives no exposition or development until the climax of the adventure.
For gamers looking for a solo adventure more like an old school random dungeon adventure board game this adventure will definitely scratch that itch. For gamers looking for a more narrative experience that feels closer to a true RPG game this will probably fall short of expectations.
Forest Of Secrets is currently available from DrivethruRPG for $2.95 at https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/218812/Forest-of-Secrets?cPath=8858_20393
-Jay
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