The game of Fox and Geese dates back to the middle ages and is unusual in that the sides are unequal. The sly fox attempts to capture the multitudinous geese. Meanwhile, the geese try to hem the fox in so that he can't move.
This historical game is easy to learn and is suitable for museums and families.
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At one time a popular pub game, these days Fox and Geese is less well known but it’s a game that is both historical and fascinating.
Fox and Geese is a descendant of Tafl played on a cross shaped board. The first probable reference to an ancestor of the game is that of Hala-Tafl, the Fox Game which is mentioned in the Icelandic saga ‘Grettis’ which is believed to have been written after AD 1300 by a priest living in the North of the country. The next probable reference is in the accounts of the Royal Household of Edward IV of England (AD 1461-1483) for the purchase of two foxes and twenty-six hounds of silver over-gilt for two sets of Marelles Finally, it has been suggested that a game called Freystafl which is mentioned in the later Iceland sagas might be one and the same as Fox and Geese.
The game was widely played across all levels of society. Archaeological evidence has been found in ancient digs and boards have been found inscribed on old buildings and even as graffiti by monks in medieval Christian cloisters!
You can learn more about the history of Fox and Geese from the Online Guide to Traditional Games.
How to Play
Fox and Geese is unusual because the two sides are not equal – one player controls one fox and the other plays with 15 geese. The geese aim to surround / trap the fox.
The objective of the fox, on the other hand, is to capture geese until it becomes impossible for them to trap him.
Players take turns moving the fox or a goose to an adjacent point. For full instructions, please see our Fox and Geese Rules page.
