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War Chest
- 2–4 players
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- BGG rating
- 3.8
Fox and Hounds
Rules assistance for Fox and Hounds
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.
Rules assistant for Fox and Hounds
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fox and Hounds is a board game for 2 players, 5 minutes per game, and ages 4 and up. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Grid Movement.
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About the game
Fox and Hounds, Fox and Geese, Fox and Dogs, Wolf and Sheep, Hounds and Hare or Devil and Tailors. There might be even more alternate names. In Dutch it is called Kat en Muizen. Fox and Hounds is played on a chess board or checkers board sized 8x8. 4 similar colored pawns or checkers as hounds and a single pawn or checker in other color as a fox. Hounds are placed onto fields b8, d8, f8, and h8. Fox starts set onto e1. Fox moves first. 8 H H H H 7. . . . 6 . . . . 5. . . . 4 . . . . 3. . . . 2 . . . . 1. . F . abcdefgh Hounds hunting the fox. The fox moves diagonally one field range forward or backward onto an empty adjacent square per turn. Hounds can only move diagonally one field forward (towards row 1) onto an empty adjacent square. Since only diagonal moves are allowed the game is played on the 32 dark fields of the chess board only. There is no capturing by jumping and no stacking of checkers. Neither by jumping the opponent as in Checkers nor by moving onto its field replacing the opponent. Fox wins by reaching the other side of the board (8th row where hounds started their hunt). Hounds win by blocking the fox such that it cannot move anymore (when fox has no legal move left). If moving perfect then hounds will win. Due to simplicity of the material it is sometimes part of family game collections where a Checkers or Chess set is already included. See this thread for more information: Same name but played 4:1 on chessboard
Questions and answers
Fox and Hounds supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Fox and Hounds is 5 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Fox and Hounds for ages 4 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Fox and Hounds has a complexity rating of 1.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Fox and Hounds belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Fox and Hounds as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.