Outfoxed!

Official Rules

The official rules are available here. The rules are well explained, including helpful illustrations.

Enhanced Rules

This is not a game that will require much customization as the difficulty seems appropriate for the age and it plays quickly. However, we do have some suggestions in our Tips section for those that feel the difficulty level may be a little too hard for young kids.

How many players?

• Playable with 2-4
• Best with 2-4

What ages can play?

• Playable for ages 3 to Adult
• Best for ages 3 to 10

Can different skill levels or ages play together?

Yes, this is a cooperative game so all players will be working together. There is also a strong element of luck to this game so young players will be able to contribute.

How long does it take to play?

10 - 20 minutes

Will we get bored after playing it a few times or does the game have good replayability?

Considering this is a game that can be played by a 3 year old, this game has good replayability. Each game will be a little different because luck is such a big factor.

Setup/Cleanup

How much work is it?
Low. There are quite a few pieces to this game, but setup and cleanup are still fairly quick.

Would kids be able to do it on their own?
Yes, but younger kids may need someone 5 or older to help handle the Clue decoder. This is especially the case during setup so they do not inadvertently see who the thief is, but also when trying to align the clues properly in the decoder.

Will parents have fun too...

...when playing with the kids?
Parents won't find the game challenging like Clue, but it is one of the more enjoyable cooperative games for a parent that young kids can play.

...without the kids?
No, this is not a game for adults only.

What skills will this game help develop?

Deductive Reasoning
This is a very good game to begin teaching the idea of deductive reasoning and logic.

Team Problem Solving
Luck plays a strong factor in this game, but the team must still use planning and coordination to find sufficient clues and suspects.

Memory
Players will need to remember which clues were revealed to be Yes and which were No. For younger kids that may struggle with this, we suggest a simple method to help in our Custom Rules section.

But will my kids actually have fun playing it?

Yes

To make the game easier for younger kids

Don't require young kids to declare if they are rolling for Suspects or Clues
This is one change we suggest for most kids below the age of 5. The rules state you must declare what you're trying to roll for before your first roll, but we prefer not to enforce this with younger kids. We leave them free to choose after their first roll and even change between rolls. This will lead to less frustration and a more enjoyable game for them.

Turn clue tokens one direction if they revealed Yes and a different direction for No
It is common to have 5 or 6 clues revealed by the end of a game. Even for an adult it can be challenging to remember which clue was a Yes and which was a No. Placing the two answers in different directions on the board can help with this. Upside down for No and right-side up for Yes is a simple way to do this.

To make the game more difficult

Move the fox 4 or 5 spaces when a roll is unsuccessful
This is actually an official suggestion from the game manufacturer. This is a simple change that won't affect gameplay. We have even increased the number of spaces the fox moves mid-game if a particular round seems to be too easy.

Do you use custom rules we haven't thought of? If you have found some other ways to customize the rules, please share them with us through our Contact page. We're always interested in new ways to improve gameplay.

If you like this game, we suggest these others

• Brain Freeze
• Whoowasit?
• Telepathy

Or check out our full list of Reviews where you can sort by any of these categories

• Our Ratings
• Number of Players
• Playing Time
• Game Type
• Competitive vs Cooperative
• Educational Skills