The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game

Today's review is of the 2024 release, The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game. For 1-4 players, it takes 20 minutes.

Overview

You hold a ring of great power; one that must be destroyed. It all starts with leaving home. Can you travel through the Shire successfully, or will the challenge prove too great?

This cooperative game is played over a series of chapters. In each, you will be dealt a hand of cards, choose an available character (the pool differs from chapter to chapter), carry out that character's setup instructions (if any), and play begins. To win a chapter, each player must meet their respective character's goals for the round (generally, winning a certain number of tricks or ring cards) unless the victory condition for that chapter says otherwise. If you meet the condition, move on to the next chapter. Play proceeds until you've won it all . . . or Sauron has.

Example cards; image from here

Like all trick-taking games, each card has a suit (forest, hill, mountain, shadow, ring) and number (1-8 for most, 1-5 for the ring cards); in a given trick, the high card in the lead suit wins . . . unless the one ring is played (for that rules them all—which in this case means he who played it chooses who wins that trick). You cannot share your hand with the other players, so pay attention and play strategically to make sure you each meet your respective goals. 

Review

My boys and I played the first two chapters of this . . . I really like it. It is easy to learn, hard to master. The characters with their differing abilities and win conditions make things interesting. The chapters add another level of variation and fun. And I assume (based on the name) that we might see two other games to round out the trilogy. You can learn how to play here . . . highly recommended.

Rating: A