The Fox Experiment (Standard Edition)

I'll start with a caveat right away: this game involves dice, be it a few or a gratuitous quantity. If you don't like games that involve a good dose of randomness (which can, to a certain extent, be mitigated), stay away from those cute little foxes I MEAN LOOK AT THOSE FACES HOW COULD YOU STAY AWAY????

*cough*

Sorry.

The Fox experiment charmed us from the moment we opened the box. The setting, historically accurate (to some degree, I imagine), is new, and darn pretty. Could the game system be completely reskinned to something else? Hell yeah. But the designers went with this one, and it's fine by us.

Gameplay: fluid, pleasant, not too much administration despite what we initially thought. Once you're used to the tasks in-between turns, it goes quite smoothly. The game doesn't overextend its welcome, either. We always found ourselves wanting one more round - generally a good sign!

The material is where we ding the one star. Cards are paper thin. If you shuffle carelessly, you just may ruin one. Plus being so thin, they're lighter, and therefore more liable to fly off with the slightest breeze. Dice are nice in general. The only one we found a tad meh is the friendliness (green) die, along with its token. Lackluster for us.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time with The Fix Experiment, and look forward to bringing it to the table again, preferably with more folks!

P.S. - Word to the wise: as tempting as it may be, don't constantly speak with an exaggerated Russian accent. Your partner may want to leave/divorce you.

I purchased this game to play solo and it does not disappoint. Lovely art, great components.

What a unique theme for a game. You can experience artificial selection in the game mechanics as you select foxes with the traits you desire, breed them and create new pups for the next generation. The game has a lot of simultaneous play which makes the game move quickly. There is also a fun “roll and write” mechanic where you roll dice for the various traits, match them and record the new traits on fox cards. Player interaction occurs each round as you draft against your opponents. Overall, a great game with lots of fun decisions.

Wonderful theme. Excellent components. If you like rolling lots of dice, and breeding the cutest of little foxes, then this game is for you. Mid weight game with plenty of meaningful decisions and just the right amount of luck. Fun for any gaming group.