The Hobbit  is a board game of adventure and treasure for two to five players. On his quest to the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo Baggins will need assistance and guidance from his stoic dwarf companions. As one of these dwarves, it is your responsibility to aid Bilbo on his journey and ensure that you recover the treasure that is destined for you.
A brand new design by the prolific Reiner Knizia, The Hobbit features elegant gameplay, combining strategic card play with the unpredictability of dice rolling. The objective of the game is to be the player who accumulates the most treasure by the end of the adventure. Treasure is won through Adventure cards, which are drawn when Bilbo enters an Adventure space. Adventure cards present players with a challenge that can be overcome by using the game’s custom dice.
Bilbo’s dwarven companions have three stats that influence their ability to complete Adventures: Cunning, Strength, and Initiative. Cunning allows the player to re-roll dice when resolving Adventure Cards, Strength provides a number of axes to Adventure checks, and finally Initiative determines which player draws the Adventure card first and how many shields he contributes to battle.
In order to survive the arduous journey and win treasure, players will need to continually gather supplies and enhance their character’s stats. This is done by guiding Bilbo Baggins along the game board’s path using Dwarf cards. Each space along Bilbo’s path will either grant players rewards or force them to lose stats. To move Bilbo, players draw from the Event deck—if a Travel Card is drawn, players bid their Dwarf cards to determine which space of the path they will encounter. The lowest bidder gets to move Bilbo first, gaining rewards or suffering loses according to the space, followed by the next lowest bidder and so on.
Once Bilbo reaches an Adventure space, players begin drawing Adventure cards, starting with the player who has the highest Initiative. Adventure cards present players with various challenges that are attempted using six-sided dice. Players need to obtain a certain array of symbols between their dice and their character’s stats that correspond to the Adventure card. If the player meets the requirements, they can claim the amount of treasure listed on the Adventure card.
Adventures should not be taken lightly, however—failing an Adventure card results in drawing a Dragon Tile. These tiles can force the player to lose provisions or stats and advance Smaug closer to Laketown. If the Smaug miniature makes it to Laketown, the game immediately ends, so make sure your dwarves are prepared for the adventures that await them.
Players may choose to pass on attempting an Adventure, but should only do so sparingly. If all players pass on a given Adventure card, the dragon Smaug advances one space toward Laketown.
The Hobbit is an engrossing game that’s great fun for the entire family. Join Bilbo on his journey to the Lonely Mountain and help him become a legend!
