- BGG rank
- BGG #11,565
- BGG rating
- 6.2
The Fellowship of the Ring
- 2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 1983
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,932
- BGG rating
- 6.6
The Lonely Mountain
1984
Rules assistance for The Lonely Mountain
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Lonely Mountain
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Lonely Mountain is a board game released in 1984 for 2–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Coleman Charlton and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Role Playing, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Lonely Mountain is an adventure game played by 1 to 6 players. Each player controls a group of adventurers attempting to sneak into the Lonely Mountain (Erebor) and steal as much loot as possible. However, they must escape before Smaug the Dragon awakens, discovers their trespasses, and slays them all. The game takes place relatively soon after Smaug attacked and drove out the Dwarves in Third Age 2770. At that time, Smaug had not yet sealed all of the minor entrances to Erebor, and he considered the entire inner complex of rooms and tunnels to be his "lair". Thus adventurers can enter (and hopefully leave) in a variety of ways. A raid such as the one this game depicts could have been the event that caused Smaug to close all the minor entrances and to gather most of Erebor´s loot into one huge pile. The game is played on a board representing the inner complex of rooms and tunnels where Smaug and most of the "treasure" of the Lonely Mountain reside. The board is highly abstracted and simplified to make play quick and easy. Four of the available groups of adventurers represent the interests of the four major races of Middle-earth: Dwarves, Elves, Men, and Orcs. The "Freebooters" are an independent group of adventurers out for glory and loot. Each group has the same mix of 10 characters: 1 Mage, 1 Animist, 1 Bard, 1 Ranger, 2 Scouts, 2 Archers, and 2 Fighters.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Iron Crown Enterprises
- 999 Games
Questions and answers
The Lonely Mountain supports 2–5 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 The Lonely Mountain is 90 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 The Lonely Mountain for ages 13 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.
The Lonely Mountain has a complexity rating of 2.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
The Lonely Mountain belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Wargame, and Novel-based. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Role Playing, and Hexagon Grid. 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 The Lonely Mountain are: Coleman Charlton. 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 The Lonely Mountain 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.