The Fox in the Forest

Hey there! Welcome to The Fox in the Forest, a super fun game that you can play with just one other person. The goal of this game is to score more points than your opponent. How do you do that? Well, I’ll tell you!

Setting Up the Game

First things first, let’s decide who goes first. You can do that by flipping a coin or using any other fair method. The person who goes first is called the dealer, and this role will alternate between players at the start of each new round. Once you have a dealer, they will shuffle the deck of 33 cards and give each player a hand of 13 cards. The rest of the cards will be placed face down in the middle of the play area as a draw pile.

Oh, and don’t forget! Before you start playing, the top card of the draw pile is flipped over, and the suit of that card becomes the “decree” or trump suit for the game. Remember to keep an eye on that card because it’s important!

Ranking and Abilities of the Cards

Let me tell you about the ranking system for the cards in this game. They are ranked from 1 (low) to 11 (high). The odd-numbered cards have special abilities printed on them, which can affect how the game is played. Make sure to read these abilities carefully before using the cards.

How to Play the Game

The game starts with the nondealer, who gets to lead the first trick by playing any card they want. Then, the second player follows their lead. When it’s your turn to follow, you must play a card of the same suit if you can. But if you don’t have any cards of that suit, you can play any card you choose. Be sure to pay attention to any abilities on the cards as you play them, as they will have an effect on the game.

The winner of the trick is determined by the highest trump card, if there are any. If no trump cards were played, then the highest card of the suit that was led wins. However, if any cards have changed the gameplay for that trick, be sure to follow the instructions on those cards to determine the winner.

When we play the game, I place the tick next to me with the face down. If a card says otherwise, I will lead the next trick.

Scoring

After all the tricks are won, it’s time to score. The number of points you earn depends on how many tricks you win in a round. If you win 0 to 3 tricks, you score 6 points. If you win 4 tricks, you get 1 point. Winning 5 tricks earns you 2 points, and winning 6 tricks gives you 3 points. If you win 7 to 9 tricks, it’s worth 6 points, and winning 10 to 13 tricks gets you 0 points.

We keep the scores cumulatively over multiple rounds. When a player reaches 21 or more points, the game is over, and we compare the scores.

End of the Game

The game ends when a player reaches 21 or more points at the end of a round. The player with the highest score wins.