The best games set in the J.R.R. Tolkien "Middle Earth" world 2023
Looking for a really good game set in the Middle-earth world of J.R.R. Tolkien? Then we have just the thing: The list with the best Middle-earth games.
Who was J.R.R. Tolkien?
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 - September 2, 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist and academic, best known as the author of the fantasy works The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Lord of the Rings is one of the most successful books of the 20th century and is considered a foundational work of modern fantasy literature.
Professor of English at Oxford
From 1925 to 1945, he was professor of English at Pembroke College, Oxford - and from 1945 to 1959 at Merton College, Oxford. Tolkien was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on March 28, 1972, for his works.
Hobby becomes profession - from storyteller to author
When his children were old enough in the early 1920s, Tolkien began telling them imaginative stories on a regular basis. The disappearance of a toy dog belonging to his second son Michael, for example, led to the story "Roverandom." Then in 1930, he began writing the children's story "The Hobbit." Through connections with a publisher through one of his former students, the book "The Hobbit" was then published in 1937.
Work on Lord of the Rings interrupted by World War 2
The direct follow-up project was "The Lord of the Rings," but due to other tasks, World War II, and several publishing disputes, completion dragged on until 1954. Due to paper prices skyrocketing as a result of the World War, the book was published in 3 volumes. Tolkien always rejected the term "trilogy" - actually the book had 6 parts. An unauthorized pirated printing in the USA then finally triggered the wave of success of the fantasy world Middle-earth.
Middle Earth... what is that?
Middle Earth is the fictional setting of much of J. R. R. Tolkien's works. The term corresponds to Miðgarðr of Norse mythology and describes the world inhabited by man. This is the central continent of the Earth in Tolkien's invented mythological past. Tolkien's most widely read works, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," are set entirely in Middle Earth. "Middle-earth" has come to be used as an umbrella term for Tolkien's legendary works and his fictional view of the world.
Where is Middle Earth located?
Middle Earth is the main continent of Tolkien's Earth "Arda" in an imaginary period of Earth's past with the end of the Third Age about 6,000 years ago. Tolkien's stories about Middle-earth focus mainly on the northwest of the continent. This part of Middle-earth suggests Europe, the northwest of the Old World, with the environs of the Shire being reminiscent of England (more specifically, the West Midlands, with Hobbiton being on the same latitude as Oxford).
Games based on works by other authors:
A lot of games are based on the works of book authors. Just check out our list of games based on authors below.
List of the best board games from the Tolkien world of Middle-earth that you can buy 2023
Love Letter: The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies
- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 - 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth
Nominated for 4 awards.
More details for The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth- 1 - 5 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
War of the Ring: Second Edition
- 2 - 4 Players
- 150 - 180 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for War of the Ring: Second Edition
Hobbit Tales from the Green Dragon Inn
Nominated for 3 awards and won 1.
More details for Hobbit Tales from the Green Dragon Inn- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 - 60 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Nominated for 7 awards.
More details for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game- 1 - 2 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – Revised Core Set
Nominated for 3 awards and won 2.
More details for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – Revised Core Set- 1 - 4 Players
- 30 - 90 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
👍 Good price!55€ at.de
Lord of the Rings
Nominated for 1 award.
⭐️ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2003
More details for Lord of the Rings- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 6+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Deck-Building Game
- 2 - 5 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 15+ years old
- Easy to learn
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game
- 2 - 5 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 15+ years old
- Easy to learn
Der Hobbit: Smaugs Einöde
- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Lord of the Rings: Journey to Mordor
- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – Two-Player Limited Edition Starter
- 1 - 2 Players
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – Two-Player Limited Edition Starter
The Lord of the Rings Labyrinth
- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 Minutes
- 9+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for The Lord of the Rings Labyrinth
The Lord of the Rings
- 2 - 5 Players
- 60 - 90 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for The Lord of the Rings
Exit: The Game – The Lord of the Rings: Shadows over Middle-earth
- 1 - 4 Players
- 45 - 90 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!10€ at.de
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
- 1 - 4 Players
- 45 - 60 Minutes
- 15+ years old
- Easy to learn
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game
- 2 - 5 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 15+ years old
- Easy to learn
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Deck-Building Game
- 2 - 5 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 15+ years old
- Easy to learn
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth
- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Battle of Five Armies
Nominated for 6 awards.
More details for The Battle of Five Armies- 2 Players
- 90 - 240 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Hard to learn
Yahtzee
🔥 Deal: 52% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!
More details for Yahtzee- 2 - 10 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 6+ years old
- Immediately playable
🔥 Great price!6€ at.de
The Hobbit: Enchanted Gold
- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Risk: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition
- 2 - 4 Players
- 180 Minutes
- 9+ years old
- Easy to learn
🔥 Great price!59€ at.de
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- 1 - 4 Players
- 40 Minutes
- 15+ years old
- Easy to learn
The Hobbit
- 2 - 5 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings: The Duel
- 2 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Lord of the Rings: The Duel
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Das Kartenspiel
- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Lord of the Rings: Strategy Battle Game
- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Middle-Earth Quest
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Middle-Earth Quest- 2 - 4 Players
- 180 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Hard to learn
Didn't find the game you were looking for?
We're positive that you'll find it in one of our other lists! To make the search easier for you, we split our website into different categories. The following board game categories will help you find the right list: