With its simple mechanics, high replay value, cool and colorful components and solid emphasis on deductive reasoning, Outfoxed is an enjoyable and skill-building whodunit that should keep kids on the edges of their seats.
What We Like
But watch out for…
What Is Outfoxed?
Created by Gamewright, Outfoxed is a board game that aims to hone children’s problem solving, logic and deductive reasoning skills in an fun and engaging way.
The game combines traditional board game mechanics with whodunit detective work, having players roll dice, gather clues and, eventually, expose a nefarious pie thief.
What Ages Is Outfoxed Intended For?
Outfoxed is a bit unusual compared to similar reasoning-based games, being primarily aimed at kids rather than being intended for teens and adults but playable by younger children.
While the creators of the game state that it can be played by kids 5+, we feel that it is really best suited for those 7 and up due to some elements that, in our opinion, can make it a bit challenging for the very young.
Although the game uses easier to use, pictorial dice (rather than numbered ones), there are three dice to throw and keep track of with each turn, which can be a bit different for those used to just two.
Further, the game involves the careful gathering of clues and some deductive reasoning, which can be a bit challenging for kindergarteners as their reasoning, abstract thought and sequential logical skills are still developing.
At the same time, it is important to note that there really isn’t a hard upper limit to the game, in our opinion.
We feel the game’s cartoon graphics and design and relatively simple whodunit gameplay should provide a challenge to players to around 13-14 or so, and parents, grandparents and even older children looking for a relatively quick, amusing game should have a good time playing it.
What’s Included With the Game?
As with other board games of its kind, Outfoxed does include a few pieces that parents and children will have to organize, store and keep track of, which we will detail below. These include:
- The playing board
- 4 detective pieces and a thief statue
- 3 dice
- 12 clue markers
- 16 suspect and 16 thief cards
- A plastic evidence scanner
The Outfoxed Board
Outfoxed comes with a fairly sizable board on which gameplay occurs.
The board features an illustrated representation of a country or suburban neighborhood complete with houses, walking paths, a lake and trees, all overlaid with a grid representing possible movement areas and little green paw prints that indicate when to use the game’s clue cards.
The board itself isn’t too different from those of most typical board games, albeit a little more colorful and cartoon-like owing to the younger age of its intended audience.
The board is made from thick cardboard that folds away when not in use and, when we handled it, seemed to be pretty durable and gave us the impression that it wouldn’t get damaged from day-to-day play and use.
That said, parents should, of course, make sure to keep it away from liquids and foods and generally prevent players from twisting or bending it during more spirited games.
Detective Pieces & Thief Statue
Outfoxed also comes with four plastic “detective| pieces that act as the game’s pawns or player pieces.
These pieces amusingly come in the shape of Sherlock Holmes-style hunting caps and are colored in the usual red, green, blue and yellow for easy identification.
Aside from looking pretty fun and offering a nod to the game’s deductive approach, the pieces are made of fairly hard, good quality plastic and feel pretty solid in-hand, so we feel they should stand up to regular use without chipping or damage.
In addition to the detective pieces, the game also comes with a red “thief” statue in the shape of a rather dapper-looking fox.
Also made out of hard plastic, the thief statue is cute and rather whimsically designed, coming complete with a top-hat and bushy tail.
This piece represents the ultimate goal of the game, i.e. the thief that players must unmask, and is intended to “move” across the board to escape justice as the game goes on, which is kind of a fun mechanic.
Dice
In order to determine movement order and player action, Outfoxed also comes with three dice.
These dice are pretty standard plastic white dice, but come with pictures etched into their sides rather than the usual numbers or dots.
These can be based on either a paw or eyes, which represent the two different actions players can take in the game – move across the board or gather clues.
We feel that this choice of action is an interesting feature to the game, one that adds a strategic element to the game that we will discuss later.
Clue Markers
As a whodunnit, Outfoxed also comes with 12 clue markers, which are little, fairly thick cardboard circles with paw prints printed on one side and clues (typically characteristics or items of clothing) about the suspect on the other.
These clues are collected as players progress through the game and are used to slowly eliminate potential suspects and, eventually, to identify the thief.
Suspect And Thief Cards
Outfoxed comes with 32 cards, 16 of which are printed in white and represent potential suspects and 16 of which are printed in red and represent potential thieves.
The face of the cards feature a colorful cast of 16 foxes with various names and styles, and these characters are printed on both decks of cards for gameplay purposes (16 suspect cards and one thief card are laid out at the beginning of each game).
These cards are printed on standard card stock and the foxes printed on them are generally pretty colorful and whimsical, making them fun for kids and adults to look at during play, which is kind of nice.
Parents should be aware that, because the thief card must be placed manually into the evidence scanner at the beginning of the game, there can be an opportunity for cheating without 3rd party oversight, although very honest players may get away with shuffling the deck and simply resisting the urge to look.
Evidence Scanner
Finally, Outfoxed comes with a plastic rectangular device, referred to as the evidence scanner, into which the thief card will be placed at the beginning of the game.
This scanner has the dual purpose of hiding the thief card from players and interacting with clue markers, which are inserted into its front.
The scanner comes with an extendable arm that can be pulled out when a clue marker is inserted to reveal a green or white dot.
These dots indicate whether or not the thief has a particular item or characteristic, which in turn helps players eliminate suspects.
On the whole, the game’s evidence scanner is kind of fun to use and adds a hands-on, spy gadget dynamic to the game, which can make things a bit more engaging for kids.
Educational Benefits of The Outfoxed Board Game
While not an educational board game per se, Outfoxed does offer a variety of educational benefits for young children.
Although couched in cartoon graphics and with a whimsical plot aimed squarely at kids, the game is a classic whodunit in the spirit of Clue.
As players gather clues they carefully sort through and eliminate potential suspects, eventually piecing together enough data to build a rough sketch of the thief as to make an educated guess.
In this way, the game can help kids learn to think sequentially and to use deductive reasoning, which in turn can make it a fun and entertaining addition to a study of logic.
Interestingly, the game is actually designed around cooperative play, with players working together towards a common goal (identifying the thief before they can escape) rather than working against one another.
As a result, children will get an opportunity to work on their social, communication and information sharing skills, as well as their general patience, which is always a plus and means that the game is less likely than some others we’ve seen to end in fights and tears due to competitive rivalry.
How It Works
Primarily aimed at kids, Outfoxed is a pretty simple and straightforward game.
Broadly speaking, the game’s storyline has kids investigate the sudden disappearance of Mrs. Plumpet’s delicious pot pie, which has been snatched by an unknown and wiley fox who students must identify based on the clues they gather as they play.
The game can support between 2-4 players, and they initially set up the game by placing their detective pieces in the middle of the board and the thief all the way at the end of it.
At the same time, players lay out all 16 suspect cards around the board, and take a “thief” card and insert it (without looking at its face) into the plastic evidence scanner.
Each turn sees a player first set their goal, deciding if they are going to move their piece or try to reveal a suspect or gather a clue.
They then roll the three included dice up to three times and need to get three matching icons to successfully attain their goal.
For example, if they want to move they will have to get three paws and can move up to the total number of paws printed on the dice towards a clue space.
If they want to reveal a suspect they need three eyes.
Should a player fail to get three matching icons, it is considered a failure and the thief will instead advance 3 spaces down the printed path on the board, slowly making its way to the edge of the board for an escape down its fox hole.
Should a player gather a clue, they pick up the clue toucan and insert it into the decoder.
As mentioned, these clues have certain features that will identify the thief (a hat, a scarf and so forth).
The decoder will reveal a green dot should the clue card match the suspect and a white dot should it not.
Once a player is ready to reveal a suspect and successfully rolls for it, they can flip up two suspect cards, eliminating those that don’t match whatever clues they’ve gathered so far.
The game ends once players either identify the thief or when the thief makes its way to the end of the board.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Fun to Play
With its dice-based mechanics, escaping thief, clue cards and special evidence scanning device, Outfoxed isn’t just a test of logic and reasoning – it can be a great and fun way for families to spend an hour or two together.
Cooperative, not competitive
Unlike some other educational board games we’ve looked at, Outfoxed involves a good deal of teamwork and communication between players, helping them develop key social, as well as logical reasoning, skill.
Whimsical, amusing story and design
With a story involving a stolen pot pie, detective hat pieces and a colorful line up of illustrated anthropomorphic fox suspects to go through (and accuse), Outfoxed can be a very whimsical and amusing game that can capture the imagination of kids and parents alike.
Good way to practice logic and deductive reasoning
Much like Clue and other whodunits, Outfoxed involves kids slowly gathering and considering evidence and using it to eliminate suspects before circling in on a criminal.
As a result, it can be a good way to teach kids skills such as sequential thinking, deductive reasoning and more.
Good replay value
With a fun game style, 16 potential thieves and a considerable amount of potential clues, Outfoxed can be played quite a few times without risk of getting stale.
Cons
Has quite a few components and pieces to keep track of
With 32 character cards, a dozen clue cards, 4 hats, a thief statue, three pictorial dice and a critical-to-play plastic evidence scanner, there is a lot of stuff in each Outfoxed box to organize and keep track of, which can be an issue for some families.
Who Is Outfoxed Ideal For?
Fans of whodunit board games
Outfoxed is a colorful, fun and kid-friendly whodunit in the style of Clue, meaning it can be a great way for fans of the genre to introduce it to their children.
Families who want to promote logical thinking and reasoning
As players gather evidence, piece things together and eliminate suspects, they will be using their critical and deductive skills, which makes Outfoxed an interesting option for those looking to hone their children’s logical thinking.
Young children who get bored by typical board games
Outfoxed is a fun game filled with colorful illustrated characters, a straightforward game style, a cool manual scanning device and an unusual dice system, making the game a little more interesting and engaging for younger audiences.
Families looking to promote cooperative play
Not every family is a fan of the endless arguments and fights that can result from deeply competitive board games, and Outfoxed’s emphasis on cooperation, communication and teamwork can be a welcome alternative.
Who Is It Not Ideal For?
Older children looking for a serious and challenging board games
Although whimsical and fun to play, Outfoxed isn’t the most challenging whodunit out there and its cartoon characters, accessible gameplay and amusing storyline may not be the most attractive for older kids looking for a more rigorous experience.
Fans of highly competitive games
While some families will certainly appreciate the cooperation and teamwork that can emerge from Outfoxed, others may prefer a game with a bit more competition to spice things up between players.
Price
Note: Prices correct as of writing, all prices in USD.
While it depends heavily on the retailer, generally speaking a set of the Outfoxed game can be picked up for around $18 or so.
That said, it is always important to check for the game’s current price and any discounts or sales that might be available.
Or
Is It Worth The Price?
Outfoxed is about average in terms of price for a board game, yet we feel it can certainly deliver a good deal of value for families.
The game is fun to play and is highly approachable, particularly for younger kids, with simple and easy to understand mechanics and an assortment of colorful, whimsical pieces and cards to work with.
More than that, the game does a good job at helping kids hone their sequential and logical thinking skills as they apply deductive reasoning to unmask the game’s thief and win.
As a cooperative board game, Outfoxed can also help kids learn to work together, sharing notes, communicating their intentions and generally strategizing as they race to identify their escaping target.
Bottom Line
With its simple mechanics, high replay value, cool and colorful components and solid emphasis on deductive reasoning, Outfoxed is an enjoyable and skill-building whodunit that should keep kids on the edges of their seats.
About the Author
David Belenky is a freelance writer, former science and math tutor and a tech enthusiast. When he’s not writing about educational tech, he likes to chill out with his family and dog at home.