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Blunt the knives, bend the forks; Smash the bottles and burn the corks; Chip the glasses and crack the plates; That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!
An Unexpected Party is a fast, fun, action-based tabletop game for 2-4 players, set in the opening scenes of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – when the thirteen Dwarves arrive unannounced at Bag End, much to Bilbo’s dismay! Mischief ensues as the dwarves cheerfully jest with Bilbo under the watchful eye of Gandalf.
Step into the Dwarves shoes and earn points by performing lines of the song, “The Things Bilbo Hates.” As you move around Bag End you will sing loudly, gather items and generally make a mess of the place. While Bilbo might be curious about the antics of his uninvited guests at first, be careful not to push the poor hobbit too far or you will be sitting in the Dining Hall with no dinner!
The game ends either when all 15 lines of the song are completed, or with the momentous arrival of Thorin. The player with the most points – who did the best job arousing Bilbo’s curiosity and shaking up his sheltered life – will win!
An Unexpected Party is perfect for families and features fun artwork by Weta Workshop senior concept artist, Daniel Falconer. Spend an hour inside Bag End and host your own Unexpected Party!
-description from publisher
- Beautiful artwork and bold, punchy colors
- Thick, quality components (cards, tokens, boards)
- Aesthetic box and presentation (book-like, with a bookmark)
- Rules are very thin and may require a quick skim or online reference
- Specific mechanics and player interaction aren’t crystalized in the unboxing alone
- party planning and social dynamics during a festive gathering
- The Shire, Middle-earth, Bilbo's unexpected party
- storybook/illustrated with character tokens
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — players draft action cards that drive party effects and setup
- objective-based pacing — the party flow and card effects influence when and how the party ends
- Set Collection — collect tokens/cards to prepare rooms, food, and party elements
- token management — manage plates, mugs, food, and other tokens that represent party resources
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I like the art style
- I like Gandalf
- the colors are bold and punchy
- the rule book is thin
- these hobbits don't mess around
- this is the hobbit who doesn't like lord of the rings
- it's a book-like box with a bookmark
- I am game to play this seems really simple