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Description
In Magic Mountain, a.k.a. Zauberberg, you want to move the sorcerers' apprentices down the mountain ahead of the witches — but you don't always know how the will-o'-the-wisps will make the figures move.
To set up, place supports on the game board to elevate the starting area, then place six sorcerers' apprentices in the back row and four witches on their designated starting spaces. Add the five colored will-o'-the-wisp marbles to the bag.
On a turn, draw a will-o'-the-wisp, then place it at the top of one of the six starting channels and let it go. If the will-o'-the-wisp hits a figure, the ball will stop. Pick up this figure and move it to the next open colored space on the winding path that matches the color of the will-o'-the-wisp. If you're moving a sorcerers' apprentice, you might want to do it quickly because if the will-o'-the-wisp hits that same figure, you can move it once again! Don't rush moving the witches, though, since you want them to move as little as possible. If a will-o'-the-wisp doesn't hit any figures, then you must move a witch of your choice to the next matching colored space. Once all five will-o'-the-wisps have been drawn, return them to the bag and start again.
If you manage to move four sorcerers' apprentices to the bottom of the mountain before three witches get there, you win! You can adjust the difficulty of the game by requiring more sorcerers' apprentices or fewer witches or both. Alternatively, you can play the game competitively, with each player or team trying to get their group of four figures down the mountain first.
[Admin note: Magic Mountain is listed for 2-6 players, whereas Zauberberg is listed for 1-4 players, but the gameplay seems identical in both releases.]
Year Published
2021
Featured Videos
Review
Magic Mountain in 60 Seconds
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 4
This page: 4
Sentiment:
pos 4 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–4 of 4
Video rGYPyyCfw3w
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 37515 · mention_pk 112729
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Simple rule set
- High quality components
- Engaging and accessible objective for all ages
- Family-friendly and good for teaching basic game concepts
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- cooperative fantasy with a rescue mission and chain-reaction dynamics
- A magical mountain path where students are guided downhill as witches race to hinder them, creating a cooperative race against time.
- light, educational, child-friendly with gentle humor and clear objectives
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Chain reactions and cascading effects — A single action can cause multiple units to move or trigger a secondary effect, increasing excitement and replayability.
- Color-coded track movement — Each character advances to the next space whose color matches the color of their current position, creating visual feedback and planning considerations.
- Cooperative Game — All players work together to move a token set down a color-coded track to rescue students and advance the storyline.
- cooperative play — All players work together to move a token set down a color-coded track to rescue students and advance the storyline.
- Engine Building: Triggered/Cascading — Releasing a Will of the Wisp or marble initiates movement or effects that can cascade into chain reactions on subsequent turns.
- Rule simplicity with quality components — Clear, concise rules paired with well-made components facilitate quick onboarding for families.
- Token release and triggering effects — Releasing a Will of the Wisp or marble initiates movement or effects that can cascade into chain reactions on subsequent turns.
- Track advancement — Each character advances to the next space whose color matches the color of their current position, creating visual feedback and planning considerations.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- a simple rule set high quality components and engaging in understandable objective make this game enjoyable for all ages
- this is a specially great game if you want to introduce your children to board games
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video NWnggzKRu5A
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 31453 · mention_pk 92627
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Easy to teach and understand
- Suitable for very young children (as young as 3–5 with supervision)
- Short playtime (~10 minutes) makes it ideal for quick sessions
- Clear good-versus-evil storytelling that is easy to grasp
- Engaging with cascading marbles creates suspense and fun outcomes
Cons
- Luck can be a factor, which may frustrate players seeking consistent mastery
- Limited depth for hobbyist players seeking longer, more strategic play
Thematic elements
- Good vs. Evil; quest to protect a magical wand; cooperation and storytelling for children.
- In the middle of a dense forest at the foot of a magical mountain, with the Will of the Wisps guiding paths and a conflict between witches and students headed to Baldwin's house.
- Fairy-tale, child-friendly narrative with simple, clear moral stakes.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Clear win/lose objective with minimal rules — The objective is to help students reach Baldwin's house before witches reach him; the game ends in a win or loss depending on the outcome.
- Marble dropping and cascading movement — Players drop a marble on a sloped board; the marble's path moves characters (students or witches) along spaces, creating potential chain reactions.
- Visual scaffolding for young players — Rule explanation is intuitive, with simple cause-and-effect visuals that help children understand outcomes without heavy instruction.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I think it could be played with children as young as three years old
- this is a short game this is a 10 minute game
- I do highly recommend it and if you are a game Enthusiast and you would like your family to get more involved this is a great entry game for children
- I love love this game for young kids
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video JbLQY29i7OE
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6556 · mention_pk 19415
Click to watch at 0:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Broad age appeal, from younger players with guidance to older kids and adults.
- Fresh, novel marble-plinko mechanic that sets it apart from typical kids' games.
- Cooperative play and approachable rules foster participation for younger players.
- Adjustable difficulty and the inclusion of a competitive variant boost replayability.
- High interaction and exciting moments as the marble approaches the bottom.
Cons
- Physical balance can drift on non-uniform surfaces, affecting perceived fairness.
- May feel repetitive for older players after many plays.
- Choking hazard: contains five standard marbles; supervision advised with younger children.
Thematic elements
- Cooperative learning about probability and path navigation through a physical marble-dropped mechanism.
- A whimsical mountain with students and witches; marbles roll down a plinko-like board toward the bottom.
- Cooperative play with light competitive tension via witches; emphasizes observation of randomness and its consequences.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Color-matching movement — When the marble lands behind a character, that character is moved along the path to the next matching color space.
- competitive variant — A mode where one team moves witches and another moves students, adding a team-based dynamic.
- Cooperative Game — Players collaborate to guide marbles to the bottom while avoiding witches reaching the bottom first.
- cooperative play — Players collaborate to guide marbles to the bottom while avoiding witches reaching the bottom first.
- Difficulty settings — Adjusts win conditions by changing the number of required students and the number of witches.
- Dynamic obstacles — Witches also move and can pull the marble toward the bottom, impacting flow and outcomes.
- Plinko-like marble drop — A marble is dropped from one of six slots at the top and bounces down the board toward color-matched spaces.
- Probabilistic reasoning — Players weigh 50/50 outcomes and how nearby pieces affect the probability distribution along forks.
- risk management — Players weigh 50/50 outcomes and how nearby pieces affect the probability distribution along forks.
- Speed-driven risk — Moving quickly can trap the marble behind the same student, influencing subsequent moves.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm going to be giving Magic Mountain an 8 out of 10.
- Magic Mountain's plinko-like mechanisms appeal to a wide range of Ages.
- Randomness alone won't make it interesting for adults as evidenced by many classic children's games that rely solely on luck.
- I think it is a very strong kids game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video T6db42-JcPs
Rolls in the Family top_10_list at 20:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5373 · mention_pk 15978
Click to watch at 20:16 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Distinctive mechanic; teaches probability and placement
- Engaging for adults and kids together
Cons
- Requires a flat surface for fair drops
Thematic elements
- probability, path influence, and marble physics
- Plinko-style marble mountain with witches and students
- quirky, educational
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Path-based movement — Move students down the mountain toward the goal according to marble results
- random marble drop — Draw a marble color and place it into the top and watch it roll down a split path
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the work you put in really does payoff
- it's very rewarding in what board games can offer for their learning development as well as just sharing a fun experience together
- not like these games are just for three-year-olds a lot of these games do work well even with older kids
- we're trying to find as many as possible
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–4 of 4