THE HOBBIT

OBJECTIVE OF THE HOBBIT: The objective of The Hobbit is to be the player with the most treasure when the game comes to an end. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 5 Players 

MATERIALS: 1 Gameboard, 1 Bilbo Figurine, 1 Dragon Figurine, 60 Jewels, 5 Dice, 1 Ring Token, 50 Provision Tokens, 24 Dragon Tiles, 60 Dwarf Cards, 15 Scoring Markers, 5 Character Boards, 31 Adventure Cards, 38 Event Cards, and Instructions 

TYPE OF GAME: Hand Management Board Game 

AUDIENCE: Ages 8 and Up 

OVERVIEW OF THE HOBBIT 

Bilbo Baggins begins his lonely quest, but he needs aid. The players act as the dwarves that Bilbo needs assistance from in order to finish his quest in one piece. It isn’t just for the glory, but also the treasure that you may be able to collect when you get to the mountain where Smaug lies. Everyone will overcome various challenges, but will they survive to tell the tale? 

SETUP 

Place the gameboard in the center of the playing area in order to begin setup. The Bilbo figurine is placed in Bag End, and Smaug is placed on the kill the Dragon place. All of the cards are numbered, and the event and adventure cards should be sorted by number in order to make eight face down stacks, with each shuffled individually. Every player will get a player board. They should then place a green marker on the initiative track, a purple marker on the cunning track, and a red marker on the strength track.  

The markers should be positioned one space from the bottom of each track. The dwarf cards are shuffled and five are dealt to each player. The rest of the cards are placed beside the game board facing down. Everyone will get three provisions to last them. The jewels are placed in a pile beside the board along with the shuffled dragon tiles. The rest of the game pieces, such as the provisions, the Ring, and the dice are placed near the board. The game is then ready to begin! 

GAMEPLAY 

The game begins when the top event card from the first stack is revealed to the group. There are three types of adventure cards including travelling cards, ability cards, and gift cards. Each event card has their own effect, and some differ depending on the number of players.  

While playing the first adventure, each player will receive the provisions as stated in the adventure. The player who has the highest scoring green marker will reveal the adventure in front of them. Players will then attempt to win the jewels indicated by the adventure. They have to have at least two provisions, and if they have less, than they must pass. If they pass, then it is given to the next player on their left.  

When a player chooses to attempt a challenge, they must be able to provide all of the required items found on the adventure card. They will begin by rolling the five dice, and they are able to reroll the number of dice that is indicated. If a player has the Ring, they may turn one dice to whatever side they wish when the final roll is complete. After totaling the symbols on the dice, they will determine if they have met the requirements for the adventure. If they did, they are able to collect the jewels; however, if they did not, they must draw a Dragon tile and reap the consequences.  

If all players choose to pass, or all have failed, a challenge then it is returned to the box. If Smaug reaches Takedown, then the game will end early. After all the cards in the adventure are played, the next journey can begin. This occurs when the next event card is revealed. Gameplay will continue in this manner until all adventures have been played.  

END OF GAME 

The game may come to an end in two different ways. It ends if Smaug advances to Eaketown or if the final adventure is completed. The player who has accumulated the most jewels wins the game!  

Ellie Phillips
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