Perilous adventures and conflicts are seemingly everywhere in Middle Earth, and take center stage in more than a few excellent board games and tabletop RPGs. Today we’re highlighting the best of these adaptions of Tolkien’s work, based on both gameplay mechanics and how well each title uses this epic fantasy world to its advantage. If you’ve read the books or seen any of the films, then chances are you’ll enjoy every ounce of the thematic tension that each of the games on this list has to offer.
10. War of the Ring: the Card Game
War of the Ring: the Card Game is a great adaption of the acclaimed board game that goes by the same name. The card game is arguably more accessible than the original; game time is shorter, and in my experience, works best with four players. One team plays as Sauron and the other tries to keep them at bay while Frodo completes his epic hiking trip. Battles are fought over location cards, with characters contributing swords and shields to the conflict. The game ends after nine rounds or if one team is more than ten points ahead.
9. Lord of the Rings: the Confrontation
Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation is a short and snappy game of Stratego-like unit placement that experienced players can complete in under 30 minutes. It’s the classic tale of Middle Earth good vs. evil, but with characters bringing thematic powers to the table that complement each player’s tactics cards. I’ve ranked it a bit lower on this list because it can be tricky to get your hands on these days, but it absolutely deserves a place on this list.
8. The Fellowship of the Ring: Deck-Building Game
In The Fellowship of the Ring deck-building game, you’ll play as one of the most iconic heroes in Middle Earth and gather a mix of allies, artifacts, and location cards. Each increases the strength of your deck and moves you closer to victory. Many elements of the game will feel familiar to fans of the popular deck builder Dominion, but the cards here are admittedly more flavourful, showcasing character images and quotes from the movie.
7. The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom
If you’re looking for an easy to learn cooperative tabletop game that takes place in Middle Earth, Adventure to Mount Doom is a solid choice. It relies heavily on rolling dice to move the members of the Fellowship towards Mount Doom, balancing luck with reasonable strategic decision making. While the game’s map-style board is definitely a far-cry from canon, it still offers many fun thematic elements, including separate card decks for locations like Gondor, Rohan, and Minas Morgul.
6. The Battle of the Five Armies
The climactic final battle of The Hobbit takes center stage in this game, which is a sequel to the acclaimed War of the Ring board game. In The Battle of the Five Armies board game, one player takes on the role of Bolg and his host of orcs, while the other player controls the Free Peoples of Middle Earth. Gandalf, Bilbo, and Beorn can play a key role in gameplay, though for the most part you’ll be commanding armies rather than individual characters.
5. The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Book Game
The LOTR Adventure Book Game is a surprisingly enjoyable walkthrough of all the major events of Lord of the Rings, and adheres more closely to the films. The game is a great pick for fans of the franchise who aren’t feeling up to playing the more complicated games on this list. Each player grabs a character token and begins their journey on their starting position at Bag End, on the first page. Over the course of eight chapters, they’ll move the Ring closer to its destruction.
4. The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth
Journeys in Middle Earth is a cooperative campaign game that perfectly balances exploration and combat. It leans significantly on its companion app, which tells players how to set up tiles and resolve location discovery and combat. It would be nice if more of these functions could be completed on the table, but overall, Journeys in Middle Earth in an excellent experience for series fans. As an added bonus, the minatures look great and there plenty of fun expansions.
3. War of the Ring (2nd Edition)
The second edition of War of the Ring is a downright classic that pits the Free Peoples against the forces of Sauron in an epic, large-scale conflict. If you’re playing as Sauron, you’ll need to strike hard and fast, before Gondor and Rohan have time to rally troops. If you’re facing off against the shadow, you’ll instead need to hold fast and wait for the Ring to reach the fires of Mount Doom.
2. The Lord of the Rings RPG 5e
The world of Middle Earth is undeniably an excellent setting for a tabletop roleplaying campaign, and The Lord of the Rings RPG 5e gives players the perfect starting point for such a journey. The rules of the original DnD 5e are adapted to match Tolkien’s fantasy world, with easy-to-use stat lines available for just about any adversary in Middle Earth. There is also an exciting new expansion book, Moria: Shadow of Khazad-dûm, which offers even more incredible maps and artwork.
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Lord of the Rings: The Card Game takes players to every corner of Middle Earth with incredible story-based quests and campaigns. Gameplay is cooperative, and player decks are endlessly customizable and easy to build thematically. The game rewards players for prioritizing their favorite factions and playing the quests that explore the regions of Middle Earth that most interest them. Some of the LOTR LCG expansions allow players to recreate the most iconic scenes from the books, while others explore territories as far reaching as the Iron Hills and the depths of Moria. In terms of scale, customization, and adventure, The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game rules them all.
Published: Aug 24, 2024 09:43 am