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The Fox in the Forest embodies this philosophy perfectly. I’m a sucker for games that take simple mechanics and trick me into thinking there isn’t a lot to them, and then reveal their deeper strategy over multiple plays. Again, this game could function without one, but I would guess that under a more mundane, simpler name and without the theme and art, it wouldn’t be quite as cherished. I also appreciate the time and effort put in to creating a theme to house the gameplay. The art is magical, beautiful, and half of what makes The Fox in the Forest so great. There’s something extra satisfying about saying “I’ll play a swan” instead of “I’ll play a 1”. The characters on the odd-numbered cards have been gorgeously drawn, and although you might start by calling out cards by their numbers, I quickly found myself referring to them by their characters just because of how much I appreciated and enjoyed the art. The artwork and characters on all the odd-numbered cards, along with the light theme behind it all, makes this game a treat to unpack and start playing, and even to look at as you flip through the cards in your hand. Had this been a game with no theme and just the card numbers, suits and abilities, I still would have enjoyed it, but I would likely be less inclined and excited to play it. Here’s the thing, though: the art is magical, beautiful, and half of what makes The Fox in the Forest so great. The concepts and mechanics don’t exactly need a theme to be fun, and really, could even be accomplished with a simple deck of cards and some text. The Fox in the Forest has, almost unnecessarily, had the theme and artwork injected into it. The level of strategy and finesse required to succeed at The Fox in the Forest makes it a pleasure to come back to many times over. You’ll quickly understand it, but you won’t quickly master it. However, a solely 2-player trick-taking experience is definitely more unique, making this a great addition to the genre, as it offers enough in its mechanics to set it apart from the crowd.

The essence of the game – winning or losing tricks by playing cards – is also nothing new. In fact, while some cards feature special artwork and abilities, the look of the deck is nearly identical to regular playing cards. It comes in a tiny package with little more than a simple deck of cards. At first glance, The Fox in the Forest is very unassuming.