2-6 players
Ages 8+
60 minutes
Year 2001

This is the older version of the game and is dice based. This is not Reiner Knizia 2010 game.

Journey to Middle-earth to defeat the evil dragon Smaug in this unique and beautifully illustrated board game based on The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's predecessor to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Unlike most games, where players try to defeat one another, players must work together here in order to be victorious. While traveling the game board, they face challenges of luck, skill, and wit as they gather precious jewels. Game play is complex and, though you need not have read the book before playing the game, those who have read it will likely appreciate the game a bit more. But like any good game, it gets more exciting as you go along and the cooperative angle is a welcome change of pace.

For those who've read THE HOBBIT, this delightful board game is a great deal of fun, featuring characters, places, and situations lifted directly from the text. Simple enough for children of 8 or 9 to grasp, but complex enough to engage adults, the game plays quickly and (best of all) cleans up quickly, with a place for every little trinket and playing piece in the box.

Some of the amusement factor would necessarily be lost without some grounding -- not a great deal, but at least one reading's worth -- in the book, but for those who enjoy Tolkien's introduction to Middle-Earth, THE HOBBIT is a excellent companion to that work. It's really the next best thing to having been there and back again with Bilbo Baggins and his company of dwarves.