
- BGG rank
- BGG #18
- BGG rating
- 8.4
The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2024

2017
Rules assistance for Witching Hour
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.
Witching Hour is a board game released in 2017 for 2–5 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Bruce Baskir and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Take That.
Troubles a-brewin'! It's exam time at School of Sorcery, and the mischievous witches have crafted their strongest potions and hexes to win the coveted Witches Cup. A little eye of newt, toe of frog and wool of bat have strewn together magical objects with the ability to foil their fellow witches. Mix your potions, practice your spells, and prepare for a battle of magical proportions! Witching Hour is a card game in which players compete over three rounds to control the Witches Cup. Armed with enchanted objects, they attack, defend, and use specialty abilities to hex their rivals. The player with the fewest points at the end wins the Cup.
Witching Hour 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 Witching Hour is 30–45 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 Witching Hour 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.
Witching Hour has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Witching Hour belongs to these categories: Card Game and Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Take That. 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 Witching Hour are: Bruce Baskir. 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 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.