Guten abend, Füsters and welcome to Winterfüste 2026, the 227th year of Herr Doktor Mediziner Schneebärtchen’s long standing social experiment designed to help you defeat your self-induced demons and to strike fear into the heart of flank meat everywhere! This is the 9th Winterfüste event of the modern era and GG (your game manager and steward of all things Füste) is happy to have you along for yet another trip across the Spielbrett! Give yourself a pat on the back side and a mental thumb’s up and let’s get ready to get it on!
First and always foremost, game play begins at dawn tomorrow morning, January 2nd, 2026. Hopefully you’ve taken (or will take) some time to review this year’s Regelbuch (Rule Book; go here) to re-familiarize yourself with the basics of the game and the expectations as a player. GG is going to summarize some of the more significant changes/additions below but it’s always good to take a run through the rules before the Startenfüste (Day 1 of game play). Play close attention to the workout requirements as there have been some subtle changes to many of the categories and you’re going to want to make sure you’re doing what’s required (no less but also no more!).
So without further ado, here’s some of the stuff to be aware as we move forward:
This year’s game is broken into five Periodes:
Game Intro: First three days of game play
Periode I: Weeks 1-3 (last chance for a full refund will be the end of Week 1, Jan. 9th)
Periode II: Weeks 4-6
Periode III: Weeks 7-9
Höllenwoche (Hell Week . . . gulp): Final week of game play culminating in the Finalefüste
Nothing has changed with reporting. You’ll still always report for YESTERDAY’S activities and those reports need to be in by noon. A couple things here. Please pay strict attention to the date you’re putting into the Daily Reporting Tool (DRT). Remember, you will always select yesterday’s date! If not, there’s going to be issues. Number one reason you don’t see yourself on the Bestenliste is because the wrong date was entered in the DRT. Now having said that, it’s not the end of the world and as long as your next report is dated correctly, you should pop back up on the Bestenliste. If you’re missing for more than a two days, make sure to reach out to GG so he can figure out what’s up.
Bonuses have the same requirements and restrictions as always. Remember, unless clearly communicated by GG, you can never take more than one bonus per day!
Side Quests are back and beefed up a bit. You can complete one Side Quest a day (just like Bonuses) unless otherwise directed by GG (just like Bonuses!). There are 65 Side Quest Coins available for you to collect during Winterfüste. You only need 32 total Coins to earn the Side Quester Completion Bonus worth +20 punkte so don’t go crazy here. The system is designed specifically so you don’t have to do all the Side Quests (and there’s no special prize if you do other than GG’s admiration and respect so maybe reign it in a bit). You will absolutely need to earn the Side Quester Completion Bonus in order to stand on the podium on March 14th and as such GG has provided the full calendar of Side Quest events IN ADVANCE so you can pre-plan your campaign of dominance (go here to see ‘em).
One new Side Quest of note is the introduction of Yoga Class. GG is trying to promote a more rounded Füsting experience that not only builds a strong body but also brings some mental fortitude and makes you a little more bendy as well. So once a week you can earn a Side Quest Coin by attending a one hour yoga class in person (home yoga is prohibited for this one). This class will also count as a Singelt for you daily workout requirement. So you get two stones with one bird, as it were. Give it a try. Three hundred million world wide practitioners can’t be wrong!
For daily exercise, GG said it above and he’ll say it again, make sure you review this year’s workout parameters (go here). Some interesting changes that GG thinks will make most if not all players happy.
Fasting is of course back and ready to make you miserable. More and more research is showing a direct link between fasting and staving off the development of cancer cells so your misery has an incredibly important purpose. Most of our fasts will be dawn to dusk but there’ll be a few 24 hour fasts thrown in there to spice things up (or down?). GG will make sure to detail how a 24 hour fast works this year as it might not be quite what you’re expecting. One other fasting thing to consider: while not a strict game requirement, contemplate adopting an 8 hour “feeding window” each and ever day. What’s this mean? That you only allow yourself food for 8 hours of every 24. So as an example, you can set a feeding window from 10am to 6pm everyday. You don’t eat before 10am and you absolutely do not eat after 6pm. You contain yourself to just that eight hour block. This is basis of “intermittent fasting” and it pays huge health dividends in the long run. Give it a shot for the next 10 weeks and maybe it’ll catch on (look up “autophagy” and fasting in regards to cancer cells and you’ll see why this could be life changing if done consistently).
Homework is still on the Daily 50 schedule but now it’s a little more realistic with an every other day plan. Easiest way to do this is to choose even or odd days and just stick to it (go here for the grim details).
GG has expanded sick days from three to five for this game. And you don’t have to be “sick” to take one. If you just need a day off or a mental break, take the profferred sick day and don’t worry about it. Just remember that a sick day only lets you off the hook for exercise; food and alcohol limitations are still in place!
That’s if for game updates! Now let’s talk about the next three days of the Game Intro Periode starting tomorrow Jan. 2nd and going through this Sunday, Jan. 4th.
Here’s what’s in store for you:
First thing tomorrow morning, make sure to start the day by getting on the scale for your Startenfüste weigh-in. Remember to send GG a pic of the scale with your weight clearly visible (and as always, if you have gnarly coyote paws for feet, please wear socks to help GG maintain what’s left of his vision after nine years of weigh-in pics).
Available Bonuses for the Game Intro Periode (more detail here):
Long Winter Wog #1 - 3 miles . . . get out there in the rain and get it done!
So Many Stairs - 10 flights (that’s nothing, Füster!)
Mile for Time: run one timed mile outside (no dreadmills on this one)
Available Side Quests:
Polar Plunge: only available these first three days but work 5 Side Quest Coins!
Paid Event: you can take this once during the game to earn 6 Side Quest Coins!
Snow Angel: you can take this once during the game for 10 Side Quest Coins!
Full Moon Action: yes, GG knows there’s a full Supermoon on Saturday night but we’re going to sit this one out as there’s two more in the coming weeks. Contrast to popular believe, GG isn’t trying to overwhelm you with extra stuff to do!
And lastly, you’ll receive the link to your new Daily Reporting Tool tomorrow and your first report will be due by noon on Saturday for Friday’s activities!
Alright, Füsters, that’s it for now. Let’s get these first three days under our belts. Score all the daily points, get the Bonuses done, maybe kill off a Side Quest. But mostly just ease into things and prepare for the mental shock of ending your holiday based addiction on sugar and alcohol and the couch!
GG will be back Sunday night with the first game update that will lay out Week 1 for everyone. Good luck and Gott’s speed to you all. GG’s happy you’re here and is looking forward to the amazing things you’re going to accomplish this Winterfüste!
Cheers and may the Füste be with you!
Griswalde Grolar
PS: Questions, comments, concerns, just text GG and we’ll chew over whatever’s got you flummoxed 👍
