Have you ever underestimated a game based on its theme or appearance? I am fully willing to admit that the main reasons that I supported Fox Matters were that the foxes were cute, the art style was fun and cartoony, and the play style was cooperative and non-violent. The whole idea was that the only thing you are confronting is problems. I mean, after everything we have been through in the last few years, there is something incredibly appealing about “defeating” laundry or dirty dishes. Even the Nightmares had awesome names like Coldfeeter or Moistdamp.
But then, it arrived in the mail. First and foremost, this is not a game that fits in your pocket. I’m not sure what I expected from a game based on a webcomic; something simple and basic? I certainly didn’t expect a big box, a game board that takes up most of a card table, and a manual the size of a small comic book. (Although at least my manual was in English; some people got the original Polish version.) On the surface, the game is a standard set collection, symbol matching mechanic. Each problem, whether Simple, Complicated or Nightmare, lists the total number of symbols needed to remove it, as well as specific symbols required. You can put a symbol on a problem in several ways, by placing your character token on the problem, by playing action cards, or by recruiting other foxes. You have to pay attention though, each action card tells you specific symbols that need to be on the next card you play. Your characters have special abilities that are very useful, but can only be earned after removing at least one problem (which earns you cheese). And did I mention that all the players are doing this at the same time, in less than two minutes?
The game description tells you that every problem that isn’t solved in a single turn gets compounded by adding another problem card. But that really doesn’t convey how severe the escalation can get. In our first game, we ended up with a problem cluster that required over 12 symbols to remove, after only three turns. It was very intimidating, and we didn’t know what to do. There is a chance that this issue might be less severe with more players, but the pandemic makes gathering a large group of gamers a challenge. I also found several places online that recommend playing your first few games without the timed Action phase; which may have made things less stressful.
I should make it very clear that I’m not saying that this game is bad, or unplayable. After a few more practice games, I’m sure that it will become a new favourite. But don’t underestimate, or dismiss, these cute little cheese loving foxes. There’s more here than meets the eye.
