Fox on the Run is a project developed by Except for Guastella in collaboration with the BeeZarre Games. Perhaps this last name is familiar to you since, on our pages, we were lucky enough to be able to review and play Venture, card party game that had pleasantly surprised us.
How can we start talking about Fox on the run? Let's try the most classic of incipits:
Once upon a time there was Fox on the Run
Once upon a time there was the ancient forest of Mannix controlled by its famous guardians, the great gray wolf Zev and his treacherous companion Puffer, and there were also two small foxes, Indigo and Scarlett, engaged in chasing each other, hiding and fighting in near the forest. One day little Scarlett ventured carelessly into guardian territory and was captured. His brother Indigo set off immediately in search of him. Did he manage to free her or did he too get trapped and captured by the guardians?
The initial project of Fox on the run was originally born in 2015 during the contest "Sviluppalo", held during the 5th edition of the famous Sicilian fair Etna Comics. The competition involved developing an idea of the game in an hour inspired by a comic and then presenting it to the jury and the public.
Known at that time with the name "Wolves, dogs and pullets”, The game was awarded the first prize by the Italian author Andrea Chiarvesio, at the head of the jury.
Today the basic idea has remained the same, namely that of an asymmetrical two-faction game, but the mechanics and subsequently the setting have profoundly evolved over the years, reaching the final product.
Initially the game included only four characters all inspired by a famous Italian comic, of which the author Except for Guastella he is an avid reader. Although, for obvious reasons, the characters and the story have changed, some references here and there in the new setting have nevertheless been left as a sign of tribute. The comic book then turns into a fairy tale for young and old: two young foxes, Indigo e Scarlett, recklessly enter a dense forest, without their knowledge controlled by Zev the wolf e Puffer the badger, what will ever happen?
Fox on the Run in detail, but not too much
We were so lucky to have received a demo of the game to try it out first, and this is what we want you to know: Fox on the Run is a competitive two-faction game, Foxes and Guardians, each with a different victory condition. Each character has a special ability to use, in collaboration with their allies, in order to act on the game board and get the better of the opponents.
First, the rules. These are very simple to learn, but at the same time profound thanks to the interactions between players that, as the game goes on, increase and become more and more important. Another thing that I found interesting is the relationships between players. Sometimes asymmetrical games, having different victory conditions, tend to forget that there are players at the table and that the aim is to make them play together, even if against, alternatively there is always the possibility of playing solitaire with the cards ( and please, cheat!).
Characters are not flat! What I mean? Each character, with its fundamental and unique characteristic, has a personality that "reflects" his self. And last but not least: players, playing time and replay value. A game can be fought by two to four players, lasts between 15 and 20 minutes and the replayability, thanks to its structure, is truly remarkable!
A partnership to know
After having talked a little about the game, how about knowing this partnership and how it was formed during an industry fair? Ah, do you remember the conventions? Those things where people gathered to play, get to know each other, exchange ideas? Here, those chimeras, or phoenixes, will return in the future, and other minds will come together to devise new games for us!
It was thanks to the promotion of Venture around Italy, that Giuseppe e Nicole, founders of BeeZarre Games, had the opportunity to meet many other authors, among them, precisely, Except for Guastella and its development brand Starseeker Games, with which he presented his games, in the many Italian and non-Italian fairs and events.
After the experience of the Kickstarter campaign by Venture in 2018 and the "know-how" acquired, Giuseppe and Nicole decided to support Salvo and Fox on the Run, providing advice and following him in development.
Sounds like a happy ending story, doesn't it?
Well, for the happy ending the commitment will also have to be yours since in June the product will debut on Kickstarter in the hope of replicating the excellent result of Venture!
Conclusions
Before leaving, I would like to tell you about my experience. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a lover of bordgames, but this strange period taught me to give a new possibility to everything, whether they were books, films and why not, board games. I had a lot of games delivered to me to play solo, since the cat was not cooperative in wanting to play anyway, except when it was time to roll the pieces from the game board.
Here, this game has given me a lot of fun and, thanks to its asymmetrical structure, I am sure it will take a long, long time before I can fully master it. Certainly, as soon as I understand it, I will start it from scratch, as I have purchased the planned expansion, which will add new characters.
So mark the month of June on the calendar, especially if you are fond of party games, and remember to visit the Facebook and Instagram channels of BeeZarre Games (FB & IG) And Starseeker games (FB & IG). More than ever, game makers need all the help they need right now, so stick with them!
You can find the Kickstarter at this address
