- BGG rank
- BGG #37
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Too Many Bones
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,084
- BGG rating
- 7.7
What Lies Beneath
2023
Rules assistance for What Lies Beneath
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 60–120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for What Lies Beneath
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
What Lies Beneath is a board game released in 2023 for 1 player, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Chris Scaffidi and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Re-rolling and Locking, and Role Playing.
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About the game
You dream you're in a chapel. Small, high-pitched voices sing an ancient song. Yet a sense of unease washes through you. The core is more macabre. Dream yields to waking confusion. Dust, bones and dried death. A flickering torch. Underground. A crypt. You catch a wisp of a breeze, heavy with the stench of rot. You gag. Yet a breeze suggests a way out. You take the torch, determined to get out of here alive. Synopsis Structured as a branching narrative, What Lies Beneath invites you to direct the plot – but only if you master a unique combination of game mechanisms. Enjoy all the challenges of solo roleplay: Buffing your character: Gain items that unlock new powers Classic skill checks: Roll against thresholds to hit enemies Intellectual puzzles: Manipulate dice using limited actions Dexterity tests (optional): Flick dice at specified targets And when (not if) you die, you can spend experience points to boost your next character. Perhaps, this time, you will survive.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Fervent Workshop
Questions and answers
What Lies Beneath supports 1 player 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 What Lies Beneath is 60–120 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 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.
What Lies Beneath has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
What Lies Beneath belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Print & Play, and Horror. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Re-rolling and Locking, and Role Playing. 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 What Lies Beneath are: Chris Scaffidi. 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 What Lies Beneath 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.