In Foxy, you'll put your memory and observation skills to the test while looking at a sequence of large, full-color cards. Each card shows one of four environments, as well as 1-2 animals that live in that environment — although a cat can show up anywhere, so sometimes a card will feature three animals.
To set up, shuffle 19 of the 40 cards into a deck, then shuffle the fox card into this deck. Each player takes a dry erase board and a marker. Flip the top card; for the types of animals depicted on this card, everyone secretly writes the total number of animals of these types that they've seen on all cards revealed so far. For the first round, this is easy — write the number of animals on this card! But you'll start seeing cards of many environments, and wait, how many chickens have I seen so far? How many cats? You can write only a single numeral for each round, with no reminders of which animals were which. When the fox card appears, write a numeral showing how many different animals you've seen total. Once during the game, you can circle a number to take a chance on doubling that score.
Once you've finished the deck after twenty rounds, flip it over, then go through the cards again, this time keeping a public tally of how many animals of each type have been seen. If the number you wrote for a round is equal to or less than the total number of animals seen, you score that many points; if the number is larger, then cross it out and score nothing for that round. For the circled number, if you correctly wrote the exact number of animals, score twice that many points; if you guess higher or lower, score nothing. Whoever scores the most points wins.
Foxpaw - 2 player playthrough
- Seemed cool
- More involved than simple card games
- Seems simple enough
- Risk of scoring zero if you go over
- Animals
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Memory — The core mechanic involves remembering how many animals have been seen on revealed cards.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- But, your boy ain't a quitter.
- I was deciding between two. The first one was Cat on the Tower, Cat in the Tower. That's a dexterity game that I was actually able to play at Dice Tower West, and I enjoyed it.
- I do think a lot of games with that rating are bigger games by nature. And if it's a bigger game, well, it's going to be more expensive. And Barnes & Noble games aren't cheap.
References (from this video)
- quick, portable, and ideal for travel
- strong abstract gameplay with depth
- abstract strategy
- abstract two-player game
- Hanabi
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Tile Placement — placing tiles on a board with a central totem
- totem control — you surround and influence the totem to end the game
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the box art is the most amazing box art that i've ever seen in a board game
- i'm super excited for this game
- the fact that they're doing a follow-up called point city right away my ears perked up
- you can bring all those cards in here and add them to the clank catacombs cards
- it's a hundred percent on my radar
References (from this video)
- accessible and approachable
- reliable memory-testing filler game
- memory-themed card game with animals
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Compound Scoring — points can double if you are exact on your recall
- memory-based play — remembering animals seen and matching counts across a deck
- scoring on exact recall — points can double if you are exact on your recall
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I don't want to play a game where I score three points.
- I want to score a hundred. More than that. Two hundred.
- This month's fun fact is from the game called Towers of Seafnos
- We absolutely need this game.
- It's silly old fun.
- I understand why everybody loves this game and this system so much.
- There is just that magic of player interaction that just always feels so dynamic.
- The winner of the March Madness of board games for us was Wingspan.
References (from this video)
- Fun for kids
- Good for families
- Quick to play
- Host found scoring difficult
- Better with more players
- Memory game involving counting animal occurrences
- Herbaceious
- Sunset Overwater
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deduction — Using past observations to predict future outcomes and refine estimates.
- Memory — Players must remember and estimate the frequency of animals appearing on cards.
- Set Collection — Tracking the occurrences of different animals to make estimations.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Today's a chill day.
- My game brain is gone.
References (from this video)
- Simple, quick to learn
- Engages memory and social interaction
- Memory-focused games can be repetitive for some players
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Memory — Players remember and track counts of animals; memory-based scoring with a doubling option via circle mechanic
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- My number five is a game called Foxy.
- The way you score is so seamless.
- It's so cozy.
- I've really enjoyed the two-player mode.
- There are a ton of different ways to score in this game
- I cannot wait to dive into it
- I understand the hype.
- I will rank Birmingham high after playing more.
References (from this video)
- Climactic conclusion highlighting a best creature among the nominees.
- Unknown universe with final award reveal.
- Award-show style, building to the final win.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- unknown — No mechanics described in the transcript.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- They attack, they block, they enter, and they die.
- The nominees for best creature in the 99 non-leendary are Badger Mole Cup,
- and the Zony goes to
- They may be on board, but they are never boring, except for the vanilla
References (from this video)
- Thematic Hogwarts-like magic school flavor with house competition
- Multiple overlapping decision layers (resources, actions, duels) that create tactical depth
- Clear end-game conditions with meaningful scoring opportunities
- Beasts, spells, and duels add thematic twists that keep play dynamic
- Rule and setup explanations can be dense; video shows some improvisation
- Two-player variant with the dummy player adds complexity and potential confusion
- Board layout and space blocking can feel fiddly, especially on camera
- Wizards in a school competing for reputation and points
- Magic school with houses and student factions, wizarding ambiance
- Seasoned school-life fantasy with event-driven scoring and duels
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Beasts as modifiers — A magical Beast can be used as an additional worker, altering available actions and timing.
- Duel and conflict resolution — Rounds include a duel mechanic where players select actions; in two-player mode, the duel is adjusted and can involve additional cards or effects.
- End-game scoring and permanents — Permanent scoring components (stars) persist between rounds; end-game scoring consolidates resources, cards, and position in various categories.
- Event-driven scoring — End-of-round events and a five-round arc drive scoring; there are both positive and negative scoring moments tied to prophecy, darkness, and danger cards.
- Resource management and engine-building — Glean herbs, money, and energy to buy wands, brooms, and spells; some spaces yield permanent stars while others reset after scoring rounds.
- Spells and purchases — Spend energy, money, and reputation to acquire spells and other upgrades that influence scoring—some effects are lasting, others temporary.
- Worker Placement — Players place up to four workers (plus a magical Beast as an optional extra) on action spaces to gain resources, learn spells, and progress their house.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's like a mixture of magic and Star Wars
- you start with a wand I start with a broom
- the player who has the most victory points is going to be the winner
- this is the game in a nutshell
- I am the Card Master the master of the cards
- it's basically rock-paper-scissors