Fox and Geese Game Tutorial

Fox and Geese is an entertaining and educational children’s game. The game was derived from a Norse board game called Halatafl, which Vikings played in the early Icelandic age. Nowadays, the game is played throughout Europe and has become especially popular in the nineteenth century.

Fox and Geese builds skills required for success in STEAM subjects. It’s a win-win because while kiddos think it’s just a game, we feel good knowing they are prepping for future success in academics. The game is designed to improve your child’s powers of observation. It also enables them to concentrate better while improving their memory. It involves planning in addition to analytical skills.

Fox and Geese Game Setup

To play the game, you need a couple of enthusiastic players as well as a Fox and Geese game board. Next, you will need eighteen tokens of which seventeen are in one color and the remaining eighteenth is in a different color.

How to Play Fox and Geese

The objective of the Fox and Geese game is for the fox to remove the maximum number of geese as possible from the board without allowing them to trap the fox. However, in case the geese manage to reach the opposite side of the board, then the geese wins. The geese will only win if they manage to trap the fox making it impossible for the fox to move.

1. Set up the Fox and Geese game board.
   • Set up a cross shape consisting of a 3×3 point square in the middle with 4 2×3 point triangles adjacent to each of the central squares for a total of 33 points.
   • Tokens are allowed to move from point to point along the lines that join them.
2. Set up the 18 Fox and Geese tokens (17 of one color, 1 of another color).
   • You need to place your tokens in their correct starting positions.
   • The fox starts in the middle of the game board.
   • Place the geese in all 6 squares of one arm of the cross and the whole first adjacent row and the two end points of the central row.
3. The fox makes the first move. 
   • He is able to move along the lines in any direction.
   • If the fox finds an empty space along the line that is bang after the goose, then he is allowed to jump over the goose.
   • It is possible for the fox to make consecutive jumps.
   • The fox captures a goose by jumping over it. The captured goose is then removed from the board.
4. The goose makes its move.
   • The goose is allowed to move in different directions including forwards and sideways as well as diagonally.
   • Geese are not allowed to move backwards.
   • Geese are not allowed to jump.
5. Take turns until someone wins!
   • The geese win by reaching the opposite side of the board or by trapping the fox i.e. hemming the fox in so he can’t move.
   • The fox wins by capturing the geese until it becomes it impossible for them to trap the fox.

Fox and Geese Game Variations

The rules change depending on circumstances. You can challenge your child by asking him or her to follow different variations. They should ask themselves which rules provide the fox with an advantage and which rules give the goose the advantage. One possible variation is to play the game with thirteen geese instead of eighteen. This particular variation was in fact the original version but more geese were added to make the game more even for everyone.

You can also change the Fox and Geese rules to allow the geese to only move in a diagonal direction and forwards but they cannot move backwards or sideways. Another variation is to allow the goose to move in any direction. They can even move backwards. Yet another variation is to make it mandatory for the fox to jump the goose. In case, the fox does not jump the goose then a captured goose comes back into play. Some people also like to change the rule so that the geese move first and not the fox.

Fox and Geese Video Tutorial