The Mole in the Hole
The Mole in the Hole Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Information
A game for 2-4 digging fanatics, age 8 and up. Ravensburger Spiele No. 26 076 8.
Design: Walter Pepperle. Game concept: Virginia Charves. Adaptation of the game format and theme: Bertram Kaes.
Virginia Charves's version of this game was previously published under the title "Inner Circle" (USA, MB) and "Top Star" (Germany, Spear).
Contents
- 4 different digging layers
- 1 goal layer with the "Golden Shovel"
- 10 red mole pieces (the A-Team)
- 10 blue mole pieces (the Power Team)
- 10 green mole pieces (the K.O. Gang)
- 10 yellow mole pieces (the Dynamite Team)
- 4 sets of move discs in 4 colors (with the values 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4)
In the slightly crazy "Mole Company," tension is running high today. It's that time again. The annual digging contest for the "Golden Shovel" is on. One thing is certain: once again, only one competitor will reach the goal all the way at the bottom. Will it once more be Billy Digger of the legendary A-Team, known as "The Boss," or will Digger Jones pull off the win this time? Everyone is on edge — the teams are ready, and it's about to begin!
Setup
The Digging Layers
The goal layer, with the "Golden Shovel," is placed at the very bottom, in the box insert. On top of it, the four digging layers are placed in order of color, from bottom to top: first the blue layer, then the light brown layer, above that the red layer (representing different soil and rock layers), and on top of all of them the green layer (grass with molehills). Each layer has digging holes (die-cut openings).
Each digging layer can be turned to six different positions. This means there are always new paths from top to bottom.
The Mole Pieces
With two players, each player gets 10 mole pieces. Three players play with 7 moles each. With four players, each player gets 6 mole pieces of one color.
The Move Discs
In addition to their mole pieces, each player gets a matching set of move discs (values: 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4), which they shuffle well face down (numbers facing down) and lay out in a row in front of themselves. (Play fair!)
Starting Setup
Starting with the player with the largest hands, players take turns, one after another, placing one mole onto the top digging layer. A mole may be placed on any space. No moles may be placed into the digging holes (here: molehills) during the starting setup. This continues until all teams are completely on the grass layer. Placement, and later play, proceeds clockwise.
The Game Begins
Each player's goal is now to get as many of their own moles as possible exactly into the digging holes, since only those moles will keep digging down into the next layer.
The starting player is the first to turn over any move disc from their row and moves one of their moles forward exactly the number of spaces printed on it. They then set this move disc face up aside. Once it is their turn again, they turn over one of the 5 remaining face-down discs. Note: only once all 6 move discs have been turned face up are they all shuffled face down again and laid out anew. It makes no difference whether a new digging layer has been reached in the meantime or not.
Movement Rules
- Each player may only move their own moles.
- A mole must always be moved in a straight line. Digging holes and special fields (in the version for expert diggers) count as an entirely normal space along the way, and a mole may be moved across them.
- A mole may never be moved around a corner.
- A mole must always land on an unoccupied space.
- A mole may never be moved past one of its own teammates or an opponent's mole.
- There is forced movement. If a player is unlucky, they may even have to pull a mole that is already sitting in a digging hole back out again. Exception: a player who has all of their (remaining) moles sitting in digging holes may pass until the digging layer is lifted away. If a move cannot be made, the turn is forfeited.
All Move Discs Revealed
A player may only reshuffle their move discs and lay them face down in front of themselves again once they have turned all 6 move discs face up.
It makes no difference whether a new digging layer has been reached in the meantime.
All Digging Holes of a Layer Are Occupied
If all the digging holes of a layer are occupied, that layer is lifted away along with any moles still standing on it, and set aside. All these moles are lost. Each player can only continue the game with the moles that managed to jump through a digging hole into the next layer. This is how the moles dig their way down from layer to layer, and there are always fewer of them left. A player who no longer has a mole in play is out. Sorry!
Special Fields
There are no special fields on the topmost layer, the grass surface — they only appear on the layers beneath it.
If a mole lands on a special field, the player may immediately turn over one more move disc and move any one of their own moles the corresponding number of spaces. However, they may not land on another special field with this extra move.
The Bottom-Most Digging Layer
On the bottom-most digging layer, both the three dashed paths and the three solid-line paths may be used.
Exception: with 2 players, only the three solid-line paths lead into the digging hole (the dashed lines may still be used to jump over the digging hole).
End of the Game
Whoever moves their mole into the goal digging hole first has won the game and receives…
The "Golden Shovel"
After a nerve-wracking and exhausting digging contest, the champion may now lift away the final digging layer, accompanied by all the other contest participants' cheers and waves of enthusiasm, and enjoy to the fullest the triumph of their mole, this year's winner of the "Golden Shovel." Congratulations!
But let us also, in this moment, spare a thought for all the other contest participants, who were beaten back, utterly exhausted, and eliminated in disappointment, and let us hope with them for next time, when the call goes out once again: on your marks, dig on!
© 1995 Ravensburger Spieleverlag