Mole Hill

About this board game

Mole Hill is a two-player game that takes about 15 minutes to play, in which a gardener tries to protect the lawn while a mole digs it up. Released in 1997, it challenges players to balance clever movement, blocking, and timing.

One player controls the mole, while the other takes the role of the gardener. The mole moves from square to square horizontally or diagonally, seeking opportunities to create as many holes as possible before being caught. The gardener works to restrict those options by placing boundary sticks along the edges of squares.

On each turn, the mole and gardener may either move or place a boundary stick, and they do so alternately. The gardener’s goal is to hem the mole in completely as quickly as possible, bringing the round to an end. The mole, meanwhile, must keep finding routes through the shrinking space.

• Two-player chase and blocking game
• Approximately 15 minutes per game
• Alternating movement and boundary-stick placement
• Extra scoring opportunities in flower beds
• A special escape route from the center of the board

Flower beds give the mole extra points when entered. From the center of the board, the mole can also tunnel deeply to any selected square, escaping the rapidly closing trap of boundary sticks. The number of moves used for this tunnel determines how many points the mole earns.

After the points are totaled, the players reverse roles and play another round. In Mole Hill, the winner is the player who scores the most points while playing as the mole, making every escape, flower bed, and carefully timed move matter.