Reiner Knizia's Through the Mountains heads to Kickstarter

Through the Mountains, a new standalone board game by Reiner Knizia, and a sequel to Through the Desert, will be coming to Kickstarter on 27th October 2026, from publisher Allplay.

First published in 1998, Through the Desert is known for its abstract route-building play. The new game keeps route construction at its heart, but moves the action into the mountains and swaps Desert’s camels for yaks . Players place two yaks on each turn, building routes and trying to stay ahead of their rivals. The game also adds new Valley and Temple mechanics to add fresh ways to race across the board.

Through the Mountains is very much a sequel, with new gameplay and decisions, rather than a re-theme of the original. The game plays with 2-4 players, ages 10 and up, and takes an estimated 40–60 minutes to play. The artwork is by Hien Le.

The Kickstarter will also be offering a Through the Mountains Deluxe Edition, with resin yak pieces and metal leader tokens. It won’t be the only Deluxe Edition you’ll be able to soon pledge for either, as Allplay is also preparing a Deluxe Edition of Through the Desert, with upgraded components including resin camels and oases, for a future campiagn.

You can sign up to be notfied about all of Allplay’s future crowdfunding campaigns through their dedicated campaigns page.