Taking its miniature designs directly from the Lord of the Rings - and later, The Hobbit - films, the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game also draws heavily from the older Warhammer Fantasy Battle rules. Players control the forces of Middle-Earth, typically divided into the Free Peoples (that’s elves, dwarves, Gondor and Rohan and so on) and Sauron’s minions, as they clash over battlefields in the fantasy world. Designer Reiner Knizia’s The Lord of the Rings isn’t just notable for being one of the best board games based on Tolkien’s books out there. It also marked a seminal moment for co-op board gaming as a whole, arriving almost a full decade before Pandemic sparked the modern trend of games where players could collaborate rather than compete. There are some neat Lord of the Rings twists on the classic fantasy wargaming of Warhammer, including the option to play out specific moments from the films (and Tolkien’s books) in narrative scenarios. The long-running miniatures game even saw the release of a new supplement in late 2020, Quest of the Ringbearer, that allows players to play out the whole of the Lord of the Rings trilogy - from The Shire to Mount Doom - as a 28-scenario campaign. Even better, the rules let players create their own custom Fellowship of characters in place of the original nine companions, with the outcome of battles having an effect on later skirmishes. The sheer variety of Lord of the Rings board games means there’s a tabletop retelling of the fantasy epic to suit everyone. Prefer the cooperation of the Fellowship of the Ring as they make their way to Mordor? There’s a game for that. Prefer the sweeping battles between huge armies of The Two Towers and Return of the King? There’s a game for that, too. Prefer to poke around in parts of Middle-Earth that you haven’t seen before with characters outside of the familiar faces? Yep, you can do that too. The Lord of the Rings is less thematic than some of the other Lord of the Rings games on this list, but it’s no lesser as a result. The tense co-op challenge stands up more than 20 years after it first released, making for an enjoyable retelling of Frodo’s journey - if you can make it to the end, that is.

A Lord of the Rings version of the classic board game Risk: Lord of the Rings relocates the classic game of global conflict to the fantasy world of Middle-Earth. If your favourite scene in Fellowship of the Ring is the bit where Frodo and his Hobbit companions flee the Ringwraiths on their way to Rivendell, Hunt for the Ring is the Lord of the Rings board game for you. The Lord of the Rings Risk makes perfect sense for a number of reasons. The sweeping scale of Middle-Earth maps neatly to the global conflict of the original Risk, with players’ warring nations replaced by the clashing forces of the Free Peoples (represented by elves, Riders of Rohan and eagles) and Sauron (commanding orcs, the Nazgûl and cave trolls). Designed by War of the Ring co-creators Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi alongside Letters from Whitechapel and Whitehall Mystery designer Gabriele Mari, Hunt for the Ring offers a thematic take on the popular stealth-driven style of gameplay. What’s more, it can even be played as a prequel to War of the Ring, with the outcome of the game affecting the setup for the epic conclusion of the Fellowship’s journey. Even by itself, though, Hunt for the Ring is a one-of-a-kind Lord of the Rings board game that belongs in any fan’s collection.Gamer Network Limited, Gateway House, 28 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1DN, United Kingdom, registered under company number 03882481. Dominate the world in a game of Risk! Use the power of diplomacy or conquest in this two-to-six player game and take control of your army! Play Risk against an AI or with your friends in the same computer and have fun! Hunt for the Ring takes a unique approach to Tolkien’s stories, foregoing epic battles and exploration of Middle-Earth for a tight, tense game of hide and seek. One player controls Frodo, who must sneak his way across the board without being detected by the other player’s Nazgul. The Confrontation is the second The Lord of the Rings board game on this list from prolific designer Reiner Knizia, following his co-op adventure game. While the competitive strategy game offers a very different approach to Tolkien’s epic story, it shares its engrossing gameplay and engaging strategy, making it a favourite of players since its release.

So allow us to serve as your Smeagol as we guide you through the many Lord of the Rings board games out there, in the hope that you find the one game to rule them all. Or Lord of the Rings Warhammer, as everybody actually calls it It's Warhammer, but it's Lord of the Rings - what else is there to say? | Image credit: Games Workshop The living card game has been expanded by a number of expansions and even a revised core set over the years, resulting in an enormous wealth of adventures and customisation for players to dive into, spanning both familiar faces and locations from Tolkien’s books and brand new content original to the game.Almost 20 years after it first hit tables, Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game continues to have a dedicated following among Tolkien fans and wargamers alike, with its detailed models, in-depth rules and epic battles some of the best Lord of the Rings gaming around. And what better time to re-listen to the audiobooks of the original novels than while you glue and paint your collection? Once you get past the walking, talking trees (sorry, Ents), magical rings and armies of ghosts, The Lord of the Rings boils down to a timeless tale of good versus evil. The Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation puts this head-to-head battle at its heart in a straightforward but deeply strategic two-player game.

Avoid Ringwraiths as sneaky Hobbitses - or chase down the Ring-bearer as the Nazgul Hunt for the Ring is split into two different chapters, and can be played as a prequel to War of the Ring. Make your way to Mordor to destroy the Ring in Knizia’s co-op classic Reiner Knizia's The Lord of the Rings was one of the earliest co-op games.Travel across Middle-Earth in an app-powered adventure Journeys in Middle-Earth offers a light roleplaying experience, guided by a companion app. A classic meets a classic in Risk: The Lord Of The Rings. But don’t disregard this as just another movie board game cash-in - after all, there’s Monopoly: The Lord of the Rings for that. Risk: The Lord of the Rings is one of the best spins on the historical strategy wargame.