
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,422
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Legend of the Five Rings
- 2–8 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 1995

Rules assistance for Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath is an expansion for Thunderstone Quest released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Mike Elliott, Bryan Reese, and Mark Wootton and its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
This is Quest #6 for Thunderstone Quest, first made available through the Thunderstone Quest: Back to the Dungeon Kickstarter campaign. What Lies Beneath, the sixth quest for Thunderstone Quest, which presents a story-driven scenario for the attack on the village, can be played in normal competitive mode as well as in Barricade mode. This expansion includes more than 240 cards, six dungeon tiles, and a rulebook.
Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath supports 2–4 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 Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath is 60–90 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 Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath for ages 14 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.
Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. 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 Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath are: Mike Elliott, Bryan Reese, and Mark Wootton. 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 Thunderstone Quest: What Lies Beneath as an expansion for Thunderstone Quest. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Thunderstone Quest to use it. Check that your edition of Thunderstone Quest is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.