Game Info
Year
2022
Players
2-4
Age
9+
Playtime
60 min
Complexity
1.6/5
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
A light strategy game where mole players stack 3D molehills into mountains and compete to build and control the most mountains over six rounds.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment:
pos 4 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video BkshcMVVKmk
maple university Review at 0:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 76638 · mention_pk 184965
Click to watch at 0:37 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- neat little game
- clever scoring and area-control dynamic
- plenty of chaos at higher player counts
- great for families and quick to teach
Cons
- restrictive 4x4 board in two-player games
- not as chaotic/humorous as Colt Express
Thematic elements
- moles creating mountains; area-control battle on top
- surface landscape with mole hills and moles beneath the surface forming mountains
- programming game
Comparison games
- Colt Express
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — each space moved into grows a molehill; ownership is tracked by bottom pieces
- area control via molehill towers — each space moved into grows a molehill; ownership is tracked by bottom pieces
- card-based movement sequencing — players pick four cards per round to determine movement; top cards are played in order
- end-of-round scoring — score points for each piece in your towers at the end of the round
- rock card and rock die disruption — rock cards place a rock token; rolling the rock die can move or rotate a player randomly
- tower height and topple — towers can topple if they become too tall for the round; toppled pieces are redistributed
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a neat little game
- it's engine-building which i love
- get it be part of your collection project L
- gateway to the genre
- it's all about getting cargo and fulfilling contracts
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Xn7MRIBNxIU
Meeple University Playthrough
video_pk 70026 · mention_pk 166923
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a quick programming game for gamers and families
- it's action programming
- get the most points over six rounds
- there's enough things going on here that you can't fully plan out what's going on
- the box is cute and the design is cute
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Xn7MRIBNxIU
Meeple University Playthrough at 6:56 sentiment: positive
video_pk 70026 · mention_pk 239255
Click to watch at 6:56 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clear appeal to both families and gamers due to quick rules and accessible theme
- Chaotic but enjoyable play that scales with player count
- Theme and production (box design and mole names) add charm
- Engaging tension and table presence with evolving tower heights
Cons
- randomness (rock die and movement outcomes) can hinder tight planning
- rules explanation and setup can be involved for newcomers during a live playthrough
Thematic elements
- action programming with moles moving in a race to control towers
- underground mole tunnels building mountains by pushing dirt to create hills
Comparison games
- Manifest
- Spinderella
- Express
- Exit: The Game
- Village Green
- Cartographers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — each round, five movement cards per player are drafted, four are kept, and players sequence them to determine mole movement and actions.
- Cube Tower — the maximum tower height increases across rounds (2 up to 5), and towers above the limit fall.
- dirt/tower interaction — mole movement pushes dirt up from underneath the board, heightening towers; if a tower becomes too tall, it can be knocked over.
- movement card drafting and sequencing — each round, five movement cards per player are drafted, four are kept, and players sequence them to determine mole movement and actions.
- rock tokens and rock die — rock tokens can be placed to block or influence movement; rolling the rock die can turn a mole to a random direction.
- scoring by towers — at the end of each round, players score points for towers they control, with ownership defined by having the bottom piece in a tower.
- starting positions and orientation — players must choose starting positions and facing directions on the board as part of setup.
- Variable Set-Up: Player — players must choose starting positions and facing directions on the board as part of setup.
- variable tower height and round-based limits — the maximum tower height increases across rounds (2 up to 5), and towers above the limit fall.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a quick programming game for gamers and families
- it's action programming
- get the most points over six rounds
- there's enough things going on here that you can't fully plan out what's going on
- the box is cute and the design is cute
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UC1b1tHqDSo
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68559 · mention_pk 164839
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "king of the hill token is on top of my stack"
- "six full rounds and each round is a differing amount of maximum heights"
- "this is a standoff this is great"
- "memory game also of of what your opponent is capable of"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 25mJcEi43Lk
kovray Review
video_pk 68875 · mention_pk 165169
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a fun cute little game
- it's actually really funny because each of the moles have names and personalities
- the table presence in this game is just wonderful
- mountains out of molehills is definitely worth checking out
- being a naked mole rat just has so much liberation
- clay is the one that stands out to me the most
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UC1b1tHqDSo
Watch It Played Playthrough at 0:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 68559 · mention_pk 238970
Click to watch at 0:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Deconstructed board format helps follow the action and makes two-player play clearer.
- King-of-the-hill mechanic introduces persistent tension and dynamic turn order.
- Drafting offers varied, interesting early decisions and pacing.
- Topping action creates memorable, chaotic moments that define late-round play.
Cons
- Memory element requires tracking what the opponent drafted, which can be challenging.
- Rock and toppling interactions can lead to unpredictable outcomes that may frustrate risk-averse players.
Thematic elements
- moles tunneling to collect dirt to be top tunneler
- underground board / moles digging tunnels
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Ten cards are laid out and each player drafts one per round; cards are kept as drafted and later rounds reveal new options.
- King of the Hill — A king-of-the-hill token determines who has first move and influences early-round strategy and scoring.
- mole cards — Special mole cards can affect movement or topple outcomes, adding tactical depth to the play.
- mole hill placement — After moving into a new square, players place a mole hill piece on the board to claim control of a space.
- Multi-Use Cards — Special mole cards can affect movement or topple outcomes, adding tactical depth to the play.
- programmed moves — Each player commits to a sequence of four moves from their drafted cards; the order is locked in and cannot be changed after drafting.
- Programming — Each player commits to a sequence of four moves from their drafted cards; the order is locked in and cannot be changed after drafting.
- rock obstacles — Rock cards can alter movement and direction, creating barriers and shaping the path of moles.
- scoring by control — Points are awarded based on the number of stacks a player controls from the top of the piles at the end of rounds.
- stacking and topple — Mole hills stack up to a maximum height per round; when toppled, pieces cascade and can return to players' supplies or topple other stacks.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "king of the hill token is on top of my stack"
- "six full rounds and each round is a differing amount of maximum heights"
- "this is a standoff this is great"
- "memory game also of of what your opponent is capable of"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 25mJcEi43Lk
kovray Review at 0:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 68875 · mention_pk 239264
Click to watch at 0:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fun, cute theme with strong table presence
- engaging drafting and planning leading to table interaction
- moles with named personalities add charm
- good table presence and 3D components
- scaling well from 2- to 3- and 4-player games with different dynamics
Cons
- frustration can occur when plans fail or missteps derail your round
- game is not forgiving for players who dislike planning or spatial reasoning
- at higher player counts it can become chaotic
- certain thematic elements (character abilities) feel underutilized or not carried through
Thematic elements
- competition to build the tallest mole hills
- underground tunnels and above-ground mole hills in a mountain-making competition
- characterful with named moles and personalities
Comparison games
- Holly (Floyd Games)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — players draft four movement cards to determine turn order for the round
- end-of-game scoring — after six rounds, total points determine the winner
- End-of-round scoring and turn order reassignment — score for controlled mountains; king of the hill leader determines next round's turn order
- Mole card — a mole card lets you add another molehill from the ground and topple the existing mountain
- Movement — moles move along spaces; movement creates or expands mole hills; stopping occurs at board edge or another mole
- Movement card sequencing — players lay out movement cards in a stack with the top card being the first to resolve the mole's move
- Multi-Use Cards — a mole card lets you add another molehill from the ground and topple the existing mountain
- Rock placement — rocks can be placed underground; hitting a rock disorients the mole and changes its direction, consuming a movement
- Tile Placement — rocks can be placed underground; hitting a rock disorients the mole and changes its direction, consuming a movement
- Topple/knockback — mountains have a maximum height and topple if exceeded; the initiator directs topple direction; bottom piece stays in place
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a fun cute little game
- it's actually really funny because each of the moles have names and personalities
- the table presence in this game is just wonderful
- mountains out of molehills is definitely worth checking out
- being a naked mole rat just has so much liberation
- clay is the one that stands out to me the most
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OzoRfcXgIQw
Watch It Played Rules Teach at 0:00
video_pk 68254 · mention_pk 164633
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- hi and welcome to watch it played
- two to four player game mountains out of mole Hills
- the game is played over six rounds and each round is broken into three parts
- you control the entire mountain and count each piece within it as a point
- as you move underground you're going to be pushing up mountains above ground
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OzoRfcXgIQw
Watch It Played Rules Teach at 0:12 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 68254 · mention_pk 184972
Click to watch at 0:12 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- mountain-building and digging through tunnels
- Underground board with above-ground spaces and mountains
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Deal five movement cards per player face up; players pick one card in turn order and continue to pick second, third, and fourth; leftovers move to a shared discard pile.
- Compound Scoring — Rounds consist of movement and scoring phases; at end of each round, players score points for mountains they control and then tokens for choosing next round, with six rounds total.
- mole hill placement and mountain growth — Movement into new spaces adds mole hill pieces to the space; rotating in place does not add pieces; dirt is pushed upward as mountains form.
- Movement resolution — When a card is revealed, the mole moves forward according to the card's value and the mole's facing; movement can involve turning, U-turns, and varied directional changes.
- planning and movement stacking — All players simultaneously and secretly organize their four movement cards into a face-down stack; the top card resolves first; order is shown by placing a King of the Hill token on top.
- rock tokens and rock movement — Rock tokens are placed on the underground board; a die is rolled to determine movement; later, other players can reveal rock cards to move or relocate the rock token.
- Scoring and round structure — Rounds consist of movement and scoring phases; at end of each round, players score points for mountains they control and then tokens for choosing next round, with six rounds total.
- toppling mountains — As moles move into spaces, mole hills are added to the corresponding spaces above ground to form mountains; mountains topple when they exceed the round's maximum height, with toppled pieces landing in a cascading fashion.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- hi and welcome to watch it played
- two to four player game mountains out of mole Hills
- the game is played over six rounds and each round is broken into three parts
- you control the entire mountain and count each piece within it as a point
- as you move underground you're going to be pushing up mountains above ground
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–9 of 9