The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Trick-Taking Game

Players cooperate to guide a band of characters through episodic chapters that reenact events from the early part of the story. Each round is a trick-taking hand: one card per player, the highest card (or the One Ring as trump) wins the trick, and a designated card is set aside as lost before play. Each player assumes a character with a unique condition to fulfill each chapter (for example, capturing ring cards or avoiding tricks). New characters, items, and constraints appear as chapters progress. The game supports two-player and solitaire modes using dummy or multiple face-up hands to simulate additional characters.

Players: 1–4 best 4
Playing time: 20 min
Age: 10+
Complexity: 1.9 / 5

8.2 on Ludoya from $26.99Card GameNovel-basedCooperative GameTrick-takingScenario / Mission / Campaign Game

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About the game

Design: Bryan Bornmueller
Art: Samuel R. Shimota
Elaine Ryan
Publisher: Office Dog

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Full stats in Ludoya

2,364
Plays logged: 653
Players: 18m 42s
Average play: 249
In collections: 35
On wishlists: 1
Pre-ordered

8.2/10

from 89 Ludoya reviews

Fun9.2
Interaction10.0
Replayability8.8
Uniqueness7.6
Looks9.2
Accessibility9.6

Jan Solo7.0
Sencillo juego de bazas temático. Sin ser yo un gran fan de los juegos de bazas, debo decir que el juego es divertido y rápido, y lo que más destaca es el arte que le queda genial.
Joachim Jarosz10.0
[Gracze] 1-4 (najlepiej 4) [Czas] 20m [Wiek] 10+ S: Part I: N/N
jowsep8.0
96

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

Can I lead with a Rings card?

You may not lead the Rings suit until a Rings card has already been played to a trick (when the Ring token is flipped); the only exception is if a player holds only Rings cards, in which case they may lead Rings. (page 7)

What does the 1-of-Rings do — does it auto-win tricks?

The 1-of-Rings is a special priority card within the Rings suit and can win tricks under the Rings rules; it also interacts with the Ring token and certain Frodo rules, so treat it as the highest-priority Rings card. (pages 7, 12)

Can Frodo give away the 1-of-Rings during setup exchanges?

No — if a character holds the 1-of-Rings, Frodo cannot exchange that card during setup; Frodo may not exchange the 1. (page 5)

Can players show cards or talk freely about their hands?

No — communication is limited to public discussion only; players may not reveal or show cards from their hands. (page 8)

How does a round end — how do we win or lose a chapter?

A round ends when the chapter’s victory or defeat conditions are met; you win by completing the chapter’s required character goals and lose if the chapter’s loss conditions (from the Threats/events) trigger. (page 9)

In 2-player pyramid mode, which cards can we exchange during setup?

In the 2-player pyramid setup, exchanges are allowed only from the bottom row of the pyramid; the full pyramid layout and exchange rules are described for 2-player play. (pages 20–21)