Lands of Evershade · Board game rules
How is 'closest' defined for determining the closest Character or enemy?
Quick answer
"Closest" means the fewest spaces away, measured by counting connected spaces (not diagonally). [p.24 — Range]
Details
The rulebook uses "closest" in several contexts—for example, when Enemies target the closest Character, or when spawning Enemies in the closest empty space. Distance is measured by counting spaces in a path of connected spaces between two points.
Connected spaces are those that share a Passable border with each other; diagonal squares in a grid are not considered connected. [p.18 — Spaces] [p.24 — Range] So "closest" is determined by finding the shortest valid path along connected spaces.
Watch out: If multiple targets are equidistant (the same number of spaces away), the rulebook states that "players choose the outcome." [p.21 — Targeting] This means you have discretion to pick which one is targeted, rather than applying a tiebreaker rule.