The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Bilbo stood at the door of Bag End, pack on his back, and what happened next is one of the great adventure stories ever told. In this dice game, you and up to three friends compete to follow him through it, rolling and drafting dice to chart the most rewarding path to The Lonely Mountain.

Designed by Reiner Knizia, The Hobbit: There and Back Again gives each player their own adventure guide booklet covering eight unique scenarios. You roll a shared pool of dice, then take turns drafting them to collect resources, overcome obstacles, and score points along your chosen path. A twelve-sided die joins five standard dice in the pool, so no two rolls play out exactly the same way.

The eight built-in scenarios are what make this one worth keeping on the shelf long-term. Once your group has played through them all, you can revisit favorites, tackle the harder adventures, or hand the box to someone new with a fresh experience still waiting for them.

With dry-erase markers and booklets that wipe clean between games, this is an easy one to pull out for family game night, a quiet evening with a partner, or even a solo session when you want something engaging without a big commitment. The Tolkien setting is atmospheric without requiring any knowledge of the books or films.

It plays quickly and cleanly, which suits the license perfectly. A light game that earns its place on the shelf by being something you will actually play.