Outfoxed!
Why it's in our library
Outfoxed! puts the whole table on the same side: everyone plays as chicken detectives, and the team wins or loses together. Players can talk freely and plan out loud, so younger children can join in the thinking and nobody is left out when the fox gets close.
How to play
Someone has stolen a pie, and one of the fox suspects did it. The team's goal is to work out which fox is guilty before that fox reaches the exit at the end of its track.
To set up, a hidden thief card goes into the clue decoder. Some suspect cards are laid face down, clue markers go on their spaces around the board, and the fox starts at the beginning of its path.
On your turn, first say whether you are hunting for suspects or for clues. Then roll the dice, keeping the faces that match your choice, with a few tries to get them all. If you were hunting suspects and every die shows an eye, turn over two suspect cards. If you were hunting clues, footprints let you move your detective. Reach a clue marker and slide it into the decoder to see whether the thief has that item. Then the team can rule out every visible suspect who doesn't match. If you miss the symbols you need, the fox moves forward along its path.
When the group is sure, make an accusation and check it against the decoder. A right answer wins the game for everyone. A wrong guess, or the fox escaping first, means the team loses.
At the science station
Play a round of detective work here, then bring the same careful observation to the science station.
Good for
- Players
- 2–4 from the publisher
- Ages
- 5+ from the publisher
- Play time
- 20 minutes from the publisher
Full rules in the box.