- BGG rank
- BGG #286
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Samurai
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 1998
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,411
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Mole Hill
1997
Rules assistance for Mole Hill
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 15 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.7/5
Rules assistant for Mole Hill
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mole Hill is a board game released in 1997 for 2 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Enclosure.
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About the game
In this strange little game, players take the roles of a gardener protecting his lawn and a mole digging it up. The gardener must try to block the mole's moves and fence him in quickly, while the mole must dig as many holes as possible before being caught. Essentially, the mole may move any direction, horizontally or diagonally from square to square, while the gardener places boundary sticks down along the edges of the square, which the mole may not cross. The mole and gardener may either move or place down a boundary stick, and move alternately. Eventually, the gardener will hem the mole in completely and the round is over. In addition, if the mole can move into flower beds, extra points are scored. By moving to the center, the mole may also tunnel deeply to any selected square on the board, thus escaping the (by then) rapidly closing trap of boundary sticks. Depending on how many moves this took, more or less points are earned by the mole. Once points are totaled up, the roles are reversed and another round is played. The winner is the player who scored the most points as the mole.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Blatz
- nestorgames
- Användbart Litet Företag
Questions and answers
Mole Hill supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Mole Hill is 15 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 Mole Hill for ages 8 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.
Mole Hill has a complexity rating of 1.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light 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.
Mole Hill belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Enclosure. 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 Mole Hill are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Mole Hill 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.