Outfoxed!: the kids' whodunit that actually teaches logic

Age band: 5–8 (still fun with older siblings)

Outfoxed! is a cooperative whodunit from Gamewright: 2–4 players, about 20 minutes. A fox stole Mrs. Plumpert’s pot pie, and the table has to figure out which suspect did it before the thief slips into the foxhole.1

You take turns choosing either Search for Clues or Reveal Suspects, then rolling three dice (up to three rolls, Yahtzee-style) to match footprints or eyes. Land a clue and the plastic clue decoder tells you whether the thief was wearing that item—green means yes, blank means no—so you can knock suspects off the board. Fail the dice roll and the fox scoots three spaces closer to freedom. Win by naming the right fox out loud and checking the thief card hidden in the decoder.2

Why it earns a spot on the kids’ shelf: nobody gets eliminated mid-game, the decoder is pure kid catnip, and the logic is simple enough that a five-year-old can yell “innocent!” the first time a cape clue rules someone out—while parents still enjoy the race. Dad Suggests ranks it among its top board games for five-year-olds and notes kids still request it years later.3

Official page: Outfoxed! on Gamewright