
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,860
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Maiden's Quest
- 1–5 players
- 10–30 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2018

2017
Rules assistance for Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour is a board game released in 2017 for 3–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Kenneth C. Shannon, III and its main mechanics are Cooperative Game and Neighbor Scope.
Enter a brand-new world of witches and demons. In Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour, players are coven members who are blood bound, meaning that what one witch does affects another member of the coven. Black magic begets corruption, which is given to other members; conversely, White magic can heal your own corruption. But both types of magic are used to bind and banish the demons, imps, fey, possessed animals, and warlocks entering our world. Each witch starts with spells that they know, but throughout the game can gain corruption to learn new spells and get familiars and artifacts. But how they choose to use these new cards each hour — whether as Black or White magic — will determine the successful completion of the scene (mission). In this cooperative card game, each scene (mission) determines the goal of the game. If the scenes are played in order, they form a story arc, but you can play any scene in any order. —description from the publisher
Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour supports 3–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour is 120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour belongs to these categories: Card Game and Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Cooperative Game and Neighbor Scope. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour are: Kenneth C. Shannon, III. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Approaching Dawn: The Witching Hour as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.