Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek Hints

How do I win the Fox and Geese game?

• 1 of 12: You can play Fox and Geese with Bill any time you find him at the board alone; he's there by himself most afternoons from after lunch until about 3 or 4, when Lou comes back. But you don't HAVE to play until after you've been in Trapper Dan's Tunnels, which happens late in the game, so you can skip it until then if you'd rather. Read to the very end of this hint for special instructions for those games.
• 2 of 12: The logic of the game isn't too hard to figure out, but it's REALLY hard for some people, like me. In fact, it took me two days and a lot of stomping and cussing before I got through it the first time. It does get easier the more you play, but it'll never be my favorite game in the world.
• 3 of 12: The goal of the game is to block the fox into a corner so that he can't move at all. He moves a little like checkers -- he can jump over a goose piece to take it, and if the geese are lined up right he can jump several in a row. But like checkers, he can't jump over a piece unless there's an empty square on the other side. So the way to block him in is with a wall of at least two geese, so there's no place for him to jump.
• 4 of 12: Since Bill plays slightly differently every time, I can't give you step-by-step directions on how to win. I do have some general helps, though:
• 5 of 12: -- Be patient and take it slow. Don't move a piece till you're sure it will be safe from all angles. Sometimes the best way to get a piece across the board is to move it along the outside edges rather than just straight out into the middle. It takes a lot longer, but you're less likely to lose the piece and have to start over.
• 6 of 12: -- Be patient with yourself too. You're going to lose a bunch of times before you start to win, and that's really frustrating, but it will get better as you go along. When you lose or start to lose a game, remember how you got in trouble so you can avoid it next time; when you win, remember what you did that worked.
• 7 of 12: -- A good overall strategy is to slowly and carefully empty out the place where you want the pig to go, then set a trap for him (that is, put in two side pieces, then place a freestanding piece for him to take that will put him between the two side pieces). If the fox won't go where you want, try slowly and carefully blocking off the portions of the board you want to keep him out of; remember, a wall of two geese is impervious, since he can't jump over it. Here are screenshots of a few boards where the geese are just about to win:
  • Fox & Geese Strategy 1
  • Fox & Geese Strategy 2
  • Fox & Geese Strategy 3
• 8 of 12: -- If you want to quit, back away from the board. You can save the entire game whenever you want, but if you save in the middle of a game it won't remember your position and will drop you back at the start of a game, so don't bother.
• 9 of 12: After you've been in Trapper Dan's Tunnels, you'll have to play, and win, three times using a special piece that will make the eyes of the animals around the outside of the board light up. To do this, you'll need to have the pig counter and ask Bill to use that piece instead of the fox.
  • Pig Counter
• 10 of 12: The game is essentially the same with the pig as it was with the fox, except now you have to trap the pig in specific places: next to the moose, the pig, and the raccoon.
• 11 of 12: You can trap the pig anywhere in that 6-square block and the eyes will light up. It's easiest to get him up against the back wall of the block, but if another trap appears, grab it!
• 12 of 12: As soon as you win a game (and get one of the eyes lit up), give yourself a huge cheer and SAVE THE GAME so you don't have to do it again.

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