Embark On An Unforgettable Journey With These Middle-Earth Board Games

This week we’re traveling to Middle-Earth and going on our own epic adventures with these Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit board games. Going out of your door may be dangerous business. But sitting at your game table is much less dangerous, and may be just as much fun. Maybe.

Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship

The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship is Matt Leacock’s most mechanically-rich Pandemic System design to date. Gather heroes to defend the havens of Middle-earth from advancing shadow troops, complete objectives that will change each time you play, and help Frodo evade the hunting Nazgûl as he travels to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring

The Pandemic game system is fantastic for any game where you really need to feel like players are cooperatively racing against a clock and stacking odds. And in the war for Middle-Earth, that’s exactly what’s happening. Join forces against evolving objectives and a spreading force. This is also one of the newest LotR games out there, coming out just last month.

Journeys in Middle-Earth

No matter if you choose to set out on your own or venture forth with four other players, a free companion app takes control of the evil forces arrayed against you, freeing you and your companions to stand together in a single Fellowship and battle against the darkness. What’s more, the app guides you through entire campaigns, filling each adventure with content from a host of possibilities and allowing you to leave your own mark on Middle-earth.

This game combines deck-building and app-guided campaigns to give one-to-five players countless options and choices and constantly unfolding narratives. If you like story-driven games where choices matter, this is the adventure for you.

Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game

Sauron’s shadow has fallen across Middle-earth, and the One Ring must be destroyed. Leave the Shire’s green pastures to travel to fair Rivendell, survive the Mines of Moria, march on Isengard, and finally reach Mordor. Only by working together can you ensure the One Ring is delivered to the fiery heart of Mount Doom and destroy it once and for all.

Play through the epic trilogy of The Lord of the Rings in 8 chapters. Collect Story cards and use them to complete Challenges and turn to the next chapter.

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For adult players as well as kids ten and up, this game will have you adventuring along with the fellowship, one page at a time. It’s eight chapters worth of ongoing, cooperative, story-based gaming. All tucked inside of a beautifully illustrated game book.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Embark your own adventure! The Hobbit: There & Back Again is an all new competitive, story-driven dice game from the master game designer, Reiner Knizia. Step into the pages of The Hobbit as you join Bilbo for 8 unique and replayable adventures. Draft dice to collect resources and overcome obstacles as you make your way from Bag End to The Lonely Mountain.

This one doesn’t release until next month, but I think you should jump on it now. Play out of adventures of The Hobbit with through a dice-and-resources game. The art and game design gorgeous, the mechanics are easy enough to learn quickly, and with dry-erase friendly game books, it’s designed for lots of replayability. And, unlike some of the other Middle-Earth games, this one is competitive. That’s not necessarily a point in its favor, I just know that sometimes we’re in more of a competitive game mood than cooperative.

An Unexpected Party

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! The game features artwork by Weta Workshop senior concept artist, Daniel Falconer, who worked on the original Hobbit films. Spend an hour inside Bag End and host your own Unexpected Party!

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This is a fun, fast-paced game set in the opening scenes to The Hobbit. What’s worse than a house full of unexpected guests? A house full of unexpected guests who expect you to go out into the world with them.