Game Review

Concept:

The chickens are going into their coop for the night...foxes and other predators try to steal as many chickens as they can.

Gameplay:

Each player is given a set of 9 cards, each player has the same cards as all of the other players: six chickens, one fox, one rat, one guard dog. One player is given the "Fox King" marker, the player to his/her right gets the "Top Dog" marker.

On each turn, players choose one card from their hand and place it face down in the center of the table. All of the cards are revealed simultaneously.

• If all players reveal chickens, the cards stay in the center of the table.

• If any foxes are revealed (and no guard dogs), then the players who played foxes collect all of the chickens on the table.

• If any rats are revealed, players who played rats get one chicken after the foxes grab one chicken.

• Guard Dogs are awarded the chickens if they are played when a fox or a rat is played at the same time.

After all nine cards have been played, players count the point values of the chickens that they have collected. The highest point total wins.

There is a demo version at Diet Evil Games: it won't explain the rats or guard dogs, but will give you the gist of the game.

The "fox king" & "top dog" markers are to let the players know which player picks chickens first when multiple foxes or guard dogs are played. The king or top dog goes first and then the other players counterclockwise get to choose their chickens.

Winning Conditions:

• The player with the most points wins!

Our Opinion:

Simple, balanced, humourous, and fun -- This game is a great pick for any group of gamers -- including younger kids.

This game seems to be a comical take on foxes and chickens, in reality it is a tough poker-like game where you match wits with all of your opponents simultaneously. The rules are simple, and play is pretty fast, but there are so many sideways-glances that you'll feel like you were playing in a poker tournament and tying to bluff. Strategy depends upon how well you read your opponents -- you want to play your fox when you can get the best chickens and no one else tries the same. The catch is, you only have one real shot to score big (Actually, there's two shots if you play your guard dog right).

Any one can play this game -- the rules are simple and fast to learn. It works better with more players, but you can play it with three comfortably. This game will be a big hit if Diet Evil can get it distributed.

This is definitely a great gift choice for holiday shoppers -- well worth full price.

Where to buy:

Ask your local game store to order it -- also check Diet Evil's web site. It costs about $15.