by tabletop_worldwide

REVIEW: Legends tell of one trick-taking game to rule them all. A game so good, mortal men just refer to it as their “precious”. No knowledge of the books, movies or prior puns in reference to the theme are required for enjoyment. Of course I refer to the Lord of The Rings, Fellowship of the Ring Trick Taking game!

🐎Players: 1-4
🗺️Playtime: 20mins
🧝‍♀️Rec. Ages: 10+
🧙‍♂️Publisher: @officedoggames

Review copy but all thoughts are my own.

GAMEPLAY:
Good cooperative trick-taking games have been all the rage in the community, especially games like The Crew. But I’m going out on a limb here and saying there are things about this game that make this one even better.

With LoTR, FotR, TTG (there’s gotta be a way to shorten the name, right?) rather than just have a single deck of cards with a single group goal, it takes cooperative trick taking to the next level. As you progress through the chapters of this campaign-style adventure, new card types are introduced, new characters are introduced (or taken out), and even new mechanics debut.

Each player chooses a character, but it’s rare you play the same one from one round to the next. Character choice is based on the goal of each character card in comparison to the cards you were dealt. Rather than a single group goal, each player has an individual goal, but the group must make sure everyone succeeds. If not, everyone loses and you play the chapter again.

The game does a great job making you feel like you are in the story as you play and while you may appreciate some of the characters more if you know them ahead of time, it’s absolutely not required to play or enjoy the game just for itself.

THOUGHTS:
One of the marks of a great game is when you start playing and completely lose track of time. Especially with games that have natural breaks - like between the chapters of this one. You’ll definitely find yourself in the classic position of saying “just one more round, just one more…”

We love the way the game keeps things interesting by rotating characters in and out, throwing new cards and mechanics at you, and always keeping you guessing at what might be coming next. It’s highly recommended from us.

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