The Hobbit as a board game

The Shire game board. Like everything else in this game — cards, character cards, etc — it’s sturdy and well-made, and screams ‘high production values’. — Photos by JOEL WIJESURIA

It’s a fun strategy game but it could do with more story-telling.

Entering the Tolkien universe is akin to entering the mines of Moria: it’s a journey fraught with peril, one from which you may never return. But if, like me, you love going on adventures, then receiving and “having” to play the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey board game left me feeling the same way Bilbo Baggins felt after Gandalf stopped by.