Feroxis brutal. This is a compact game from a compact company. Craft Fair Games originally released this two player asymmetrical competitive design in 2015. One player controls a film crew lost in the sweltering jungle. The other takes on the role of cannibal native tribes determined to hunt down the intruders and tear them limb from limb. As I said: brutal.
This game holds nothing back. The VHS style box is peppered with blood splatters and places a screaming woman front and centre. The whole package – from graphic to rule design – espouses an 80s exploitation film aesthetic that’s grainy and visceral. This is a game aimed at transferring an electric feeling through its cardboard organs. Those seeking deep strategy or layered decision-making best avoid this journey.
That’s not to say Ferox is mindless. The film crew player must determine who to expose in each engagement. There’s a subtle resource management element as you alternate between characters and try to juggle their trauma. Each is equipped uniquely and possesses a special ability which informs your decision.
The native player will commit different amounts of warriors from each of their four tribes. This affects their individual dice pools as each tribe has their own asymmetrical set of six-siders. Attacks are landed back and forth and attrition builds as combat is augmented with special cards from each player’s hand.