Hounded: Paths To Victory
What’s the key to victory in Hounded? Movement.
As the Fox, your job is to stay on your feet. Your mobility is your life, and as long as you’re still moving, you’re in the game. The terrain is your friend: thickets, brooks, and dens hinder the hounds, hide your scent, and provide shortcuts across the forest. Sometimes you'll discover a trap, but setbacks are inevitable, and can almost always be overcome as long as you remain on the move.
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| The Fox makes a break for open ground |
For the Master of Hounds, the task is a little different. Spread out, flank, surround, cut off escape – limiting the Fox’s movement is what it’s all about. You can attempt to trap the Fox in the open, but dividing the board and cornering them in the smallest portion will make your job easier. To that end, you have multiple pieces at your disposal. Individually your hounds are not as dynamic as the Fox, nor as at home in the woods as their quarry, but they nonetheless have their own characteristics that more than make them up to the task.
I've always felt the best part of Hounded is the triumph each turn gives both players. It is a game where every movement has great importance, so the excitement of cornering the fox, or escaping that corner, are always present. Both players are constantly playing three turns ahead, looking at every possible move and gap within their plan. Every time I've played, there has been that moment where if my opponent makes one specific move – one move out of a dozen possibilities – I know that I'll lose. The anticipation of watching them analyze the gameboard, and hopefully miss their opportunity for victory, is so much fun.
– Clint Bohaty, Designer of Hounded
Read more of Clint’s insights in Designer’s Notebook: The Story of Hounded!