The Green Book of the White Downs: Gaming in Middle-earth

State of play August 2021 report

Gaming set within J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth is still in a strong place. Currently there are board games, card games, roleplaying games, mobile games and PC/console games either available or in production.

There’s even a fantastic version of Middle-earth set up in Minecraft.

Currently all games come through Middle-earth Enterprises (and not the Tolkien Estate). I have explained the licensing situation here.

There have been some losses - in early 2021 Tencent/Leyou clashed with Amazon Game Studios and their upcoming Lord of the Rings MMO was cancelled. Fantasy Flight Games seems to be slowing production of their card and boards games but other companies are stepping into the gaps.

I wrote about the Tencent/Leyou/Amazon clash here. It is unclear what Tencent will now do with the license they inherited from purchasing Leyou.

It will also be interesting to keep an eye on Amazon, it has been noted (here) that they also own merchandising rights to the TV series they are producing. Could we see games come out of those rights in the future?

Below are the current games, based on the book license (hence no Games Workshop), which are out or due to be released.

ARES GAMES
War of the Ring and Hunt for the Ring
http://www.aresgames.eu/games/war-of-the-ring-line

Type: Board games

Social media
https://www.facebook.com/AresGames
https://twitter.com/AresGamesSrl

Current products

The War of the Ring Second Edition
Lords of Middle-earth
Warriors of Middle-earth
The Battle of Five Armies
Hunt for the Ring

Expected releases

The Fate of Erebor
Hunt for the Ring: Light and Shadow
War of the Ring: Kings of Middle-earth
Card game based on the War of the Ring line? (Rumour: https://www.dicebreaker.com/series/war-of-the-ring/news/war-of-the-ring-card-game-revealed)

DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT/NACON
Lord of The Rings: Gollum
https://www.daedalic.com/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1265780/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_Gollum/?curator_clanid=1738300

Expected release: 2022

Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S

Type: PC and Platform game

Social media
https://www.facebook.com/daedalic
https://twitter.com/daedalic

FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES
https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/index/

Type: Board and card games

Social media
https://www.facebook.com/FantasyFlightGames
https://twitter.com/FFGames

The Lord of The Rings Living Card Game
https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/

Current products (Lord of the Rings Living Card Game)
See: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/

Expected releases (Lord of the Rings Living Card Game)
Unknown – the last release was “The Hunt for the Dreadnaught.” No further releases have been

Lord of the Rings Living Card Game (Digital version)
https://www.asmodee-digital.com/en/lord-rings-adventure-card-game/

Journeys in Middle-Earth
https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-journeys-in-middle-earth/

Current products (Journeys in Middle-earth)

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth
Middle-earth Gamemat
Villains of Eriador Figure Pack
Shadowed Paths
Dwellers in Darkness
Hunt for the Ember Crown (DLC)
The Haunting of Dale (DLC)

Expected releases (Journeys in Middle-earth)

Spreading War (Note: this is the last big bog expansion for Journeys in Middle-earth)
https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2021/7/8/spreading-war-announcement/
https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-journeys-in-middle-earth/products/spreading-war/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuzRlxbp2yk (FFG unboxing video)

FRI LIGAN (FREE LEAGUE)
The One Ring Roleplaying Game / Adventures in Middle-Earth Rpg (D&D 5e)
https://frialigan.se/en/startpage/

Type: Tabletop RPG (Kickstarter)

Social media
https://www.facebook.com/FreeLeaguePublishing
https://twitter.com/FreeLeaguePub

Expected release: Late 2021/2022

Expected products include -

Core book – setting in central Eriador – Bree and old Arnor (starting date of T.A. 2960)
Starter set – Shire guide and adventures (Writer: James Michael Spahn)
Loremasters’ Screen – Rivendell and Grey Havens booklet
Tharbad book
Moria (Writer: Gareth Ryder Hanrahan)

Newsletter #1: https://mailchi.mp/f9532265c0f0/the-one-ring-newsletter-1
Newsletter #2: https://mailchi.mp/9c0643282818/the-one-ring-newsletter-2
Newsletter #3: https://mailchi.mp/3a74279ca132/the-one-ring-newsletter-3

Free League YouTube: Fria Ligan Showcase for The One Ring (27 September 2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaRwhmAw95o

Free League YouTube: Fellowship forum (19 July 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBIn19u1wvI

MAGIC: THE GATHERING (WIZARDS OF THE COAST)
Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings
https://magic.wizards.com/en

Type: Collectible card game

Social media
https://www.facebook.com/MagicTheGathering
https://twitter.com/wizards_magic

Expected release: 2022

Press releases
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/magics-voyages-universes-beyond-2021-02-25
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/secret-lair-universes-beyond-update-2021-06-07

Exclusives through the Secret Lair with “curated card drops”?
https://secretlair.wizards.com/uk
https://magic.wizards.com/en/secretlair

Update: 25 Aug 2021
Wizards of the Coast did an upcoming set reveal at their Magic Showcase 2021 (39 mins in for therelevant piece) on Tuesday 24th August 2021 including the “Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth” set.

Some details:

Full booster set
Tabletop, Magic Online and MTG Arena
Four Commander decks
Secret Lair drops
Modern legal
Release 2023

News here and here.

MITHRIL MINIATURES
Lord of the Rings miniatures and accessories
https://mithril.ie/

Type: Gaming figures and accessories

Social media
https://mithril.ie/facebook/
https://twitter.com/princeaugust

Current products
Extensive product list on website

Notes
Though not a producer of actual games, Mithril Miniatures has been producing gaming accessories for over 30 years.

Mithril Miniatures does boxed sets and also has a special “Fellowship Club” where you can suggest and vote on new miniatures.

NETEASE AND WARNER BROS
Lord of the Rings: Rise to War
https://www.lotr-risetowar.com/index.html

Type: Mobile strategy game

Social media
https://www.facebook.com/lotrrisetowar/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lotrrisetowar/

Platform: Google Play

Expected release: Late 2021/2020? (still in BETA playtesting)

Press release
https://www.neteasegames.com/news/game/20200616/30576_886887.html

STANDING STONES GAMES
Lord of the Rings Online
https://www.lotro.com/en

Type: Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG)

Social media
https://www.facebook.com/LOTRO
https://twitter.com/lotro

Current update
Update 30.1.2: Blood of Azog

Expected updates
Update 31: Gundabad (Fall 2021)

Notes - Change of publisher from Daybreak to Enad Global 7:
Daybreak became the new publisher of Standing Stones Games (LOTRO & DDO) on 19 December 2016 after Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment dropped the games. Swedish gaming company EG7 announced the purchasing of Daybreak on 1 December 2020.

For reference: