The Fox in the Forest FAQ
30 questions players ask · Updated Nov 12, 2026 · Full rulebook
Setup and the decree
Trick-taking and leading
Odd-card abilities
- When a 9 (Witch) is the only 9 in the trick, does it count as trump for winning the trick?
- Does a lone 9 count as trump when deciding whether you must follow suit?
- If a non-trump 9 is led, can you win the trick by answering with the trump 9?
- If you lead a non-trump 11 and the opponent answers with a trump card, who wins?
- Who leads the next trick after a Swan (1) is played?
- When a Monarch (11) is led, must the opponent play the Swan or the highest card of the suit?
- After a Monarch is led, what can the opponent play if they have neither the Swan nor a card of the led suit?
- If you play a 5 (Woodcutter) and lose the trick, do you still draw and discard?
- Is drawing with a Woodcutter (5) optional, and can you discard the card you just drew?
- Can a Woodcutter discard a card that has already been played to the table?
- Is the card a Woodcutter puts under the deck shown to the opponent?
- What happens if you play a Woodcutter as your last card?
- Are the odd-numbered card abilities mandatory or optional?
- Can the Fox exchange any card from your hand for the decree card?
- When the Fox changes the decree card, does the trump suit change with it?
- If the leader plays a Fox, does the second player see the new trump before playing?
- If both players play a Fox in the same trick, can each one change the decree?
- What happens if the Fox is led on the final trick?
Scoring and ending
- When do you score the points from a 7 treasure card?
- If you win a trick containing two 7 treasures, how many points do you score?
- At end-of-round scoring, do the 7 treasure points count toward the trick count?
- If a player reaches 21 points partway through a round, does the game end at once?
- What happens if both players are still tied after the final round is scored?