allboardgames.com
The Mole In The Hole box art
1995 Ranked #4,690

The Mole In The Hole

A children’s racing game where moles dig through stacked board layers in search of the Golden Shovel. Each completed level disappears with any remaining moles, so reaching the next hole at the right moment determines who continues downward.

Family Games Children's Game Map Reduction Modular Board Animals: Moles

Players

2-4

Play time

Not listed

Age

8+

Complexity

1.29/5

Rating

6.28

Harder to teach Highly interactive Deep strategy

Overview

At a glance

Is this game right for my group?

ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.

Teachability 2.6/5

Harder to teach

Replay value 4.1/5

High replayability

Interaction 3.7/5

Highly interactive

Player scaling 4.4/5

Scales well

Strategic depth 4.7/5

Deep strategy

See all 5 specifications

How it plays

How does it play?

A children's game that is equally entertaining for adults. Players move their moles, who are on a quest to dig underground searching for The Golden Shovel.

Core mechanisms

Key systems that shape the decisions players make.

Read the full game description

A children's game that is equally entertaining for adults. Players move their moles, who are on a quest to dig underground searching for The Golden Shovel. A distinctive feature of this game is the multi-part board - there are four boards laid on top of each other, each with holes in it leading 'down' to the next level. Players move their moles to those holes and, when one board is 'complete' (i.e., all holes occupied), the board, and any moles remaining on it, are removed from play. Players continue working their way down from level to level, each board having fewer holes than the previous, until they reach the final level, which has only one hole leading to The Golden Shovel. A simple race-to-the-finish game with fun, colorful playing pieces, just as much fun with or without the kids! This game is actually a mild re-working of Inner Circle, also called Top Star, by Virginia Charves. Thematically re-implemented as Up And Down.

Browse all classifications

Shopping

Where to buy

No verified retailer offers are available yet. The references below may still help you continue your search.

Unverified shopping references

Editions

Language and publisher variants currently recorded in the catalog.

Edition Year Language Publisher / Region
No editions imported yet.

Player resources

Rulebooks, player aids, FAQs, and solo resources.

No files imported yet.

Game and edition data

All specifications (5)

Play and group

Players
2–4
Best with
2–4
Play time
30 min
Age
8+
Complexity
1.3/5
Credits and catalog connections

Credits

Designers

2
Virginia Charves Bertram Kaes

Artists

2
Walter Pepperle Foto Rhomberg

Publishers

1
Ravensburger

Linked items

No published linked games yet.