Designed by: Joshua Buergel
The Fox in the Forest is a rarity – a trick-taking game (such as whist) designed for just two players.
Each player is dealt thirteen cards from the deck. The top card of the remainder – the draw deck – is flipped over as the Decree, denoting which is the trump suit – the strongest – for this round, then play begins.
Standard trick-taking rules apply: when a suit is led, the following player must play the same suit if they can, or play whatever they like if they can’t, and someone will win the trick based on the cards played. However, all the odd-numbered cards have special abilities that are brought to bear, possibly wreaking havoc on the standard highest-card-wins…
The special powers are as follows: The Swan (1) allows you to lose the trick but lead for the next one – usually the role of the trick-winner. The Fox (3) allows you to change the decree – a game-changer of massive potential! The Woodcutter (5) allows you to dump a card from your hand and replace it with a new one from the draw deck. The Treasure (7) isn’t an ability as such, but winning a trick with or including a seven scores additional points. The Witch (9) is considered a trump no matter what suit it is and finally the Monarch (11) when led forces the opponent to play either a Swan or the highest card of the Monarch’s suit.
So around the basic trick-taking, both players are kind of running interference and doing their best to bend the victory in their direction. But victory in Fox in the Forest can also… mean defeat, because it’s possible to win too many tricks!
After all cards have been played, both players score. If you’ve won between 0-3 tricks, you are humbly rewarded with six points. If you’ve won between 7-9 tricks, you are victoriously rewarded the same amount. However! Finish a round with 4-6 tricks (Defeated) and you get a piddling 1/2/3 points. Win ten or more and you are considered Greedy – and get nothing!
The first player to reach or pass 21 points is the winner.
Enough to be getting on with
Extremely low
Small game, but packing a little punch too. Not knowing what your opponent has at the start, but as cards are played and suits followed/not followed, so the hidden information starts to leak out and inform what you do...
Clever enough to merit repeat visits, the Fox in The Forest is the ideal late-night-at-the-kitchen-table card game for two.
Sam says
I do like trick-taking games, with Texas Showdown, Voodoo Prince and Cobras particular favourites. However they generally underwhelm (or don't function at all) for two players, so it's nice to uncover a game that's designed specifically for that number. The Fox in the Forest's sneakiest twist in a game with a collection of them is the scoring system: trying to win as few tricks as possible, or a limited number, means the special abilities of the cards take on much more tactical importance than simply random take-that moments. I'm impressed; without being totally won over - but that's purely down to my two-player gaming preferences rather than any shortcoming here. It's well-presented too; a game that will stand up to repeat visits.