The 15 Best Lord of The Rings Games of All Time

The Lord of the Rings is a massively popular franchise. Outside of the novels and blockbuster movies, we also have a slew of video game titles to enjoy after finishing the final pages or letting the credits roll. In this list, we’re showcasing some of the very best games inspired by The Lord of the Rings. Be sure to let us know any that we may have missed on social media.

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#15 The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game – Definitive Edition

Platform: PC

Release Date: August 29, 2019

Genre: Adventure, RPG, Strategy

Being blunt here, given how expansive and fun Middle-Earth is, why wouldn’t someone try and make a card game based on the property? That’s what The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game – Definitive Edition did in 2019, and it worked out pretty well. For those who love digital CCGs like Gwent or Yugioh Master Duel, you’ll feel right at home here.

As one would expect from a card game-based adaptation, your goal is to build up your deck full of characters from the books and movies and then set out on a quest to take down Sauron and his forces! The twist is that you’ll begin your “journey” by picking three heroes from a roster and then crafting your deck around them. Each has special skills, abilities, and upgrades, so you’ll want to pick the ones that work best for you.

The battles you face will be part of special storylines that require great strategy and guts to complete. You can’t be afraid to try out new things if you want to progress. You can even play the game in co-op mode to help increase your chances of victory!

With special training modes and expanded story quests, you’ll find this card game has a good amount of depth to it.

#14 The Lord of the Rings: Conquest

Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS

Release Date: January 13, 2009

Genre: Action

The 2009 title The Lord of The Rings: Conquest decided to make a few changes to the beloved franchise, in particular how the narrative ends. Rather than the Ring being destroyed, it’s kept and a slew of battles for the Ring rage on.

While the storyline is understandable, the gameplay is the weak spot in this title. The game follows a similar pathway to Star Wars: Battlefront or even Dynasty Warriors, both of which have a tendency to become repetitive after a while. Within the campaign, you’ll take control of generic characters for each side of the war. Fortunately, during certain points of the game, you’ll control some of the more high-profile characters like Gandalf as you take on countless orcs. While the campaign has a cooperative game mode, this title really opens up with multiplayer. The battles are a bit more intense and there are various game modes to keep things interesting.

#13 Helm’s Deep

Platform: PC

Release Date: November 20, 2013

Genre: MMORPG

Left 4 Dead 2 might have launched back in 2009, but it’s still being supported by a dedicated community of fans. The first-person shooter includes four-player cooperative gameplay that hasn’t gotten old after over a decade. Players typically fight against a horde of undead zombies, but the community has brought out plenty of new levels and content for other players to enjoy. One of those fans-created maps is the battle of Helm’s Deep. You’ll need a copy of Left 4 Dead 2 on PC but from there you reenact the beloved battle. It’s not a long game but it’s something fans will adore.

#12 Lego The Lord of The Rings

Platform: iOS, Android, PC, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, OS X, PS 3, PS Vita, Wii, Xbox 360

Release Date: PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS – October 30, 2012

PC, SP3, Xbox 360, Wii – November 13, 2012

OS – February 22, 2013

iOS, Android – November 7, 2013

Genre: Action-adventure

Yes, I’m putting a Lego game on this list. The reason for that is simple: no matter what Lego game you play that is based on a film or series, you know you’re going to have a funny and action-packed adventure that most people would enjoy playing. Lego The Lord of The Rings is no different, and it plays just like you think it would, being a Lego title. Sometimes, “predictable” can be a positive.

As you likely guessed, this title from 2013 combined the entire Lord of the Rings movie trilogy together, put a Lego spin on things and let gamers have fun. That being said, they did respect the serious tone of the film and didn’t do as much “slapstick comedy” as they did with other titles, which is a positive. Just as important, they toned down some of the more violent moments so that younger players wouldn’t be affected by what they witnessed.

A cool feature of Lego The Lord of The Rings is being able to go full-tilt and simply explore Middle-Earth in “Free Roam” mode. You can go just about anywhere within the story on foot, and that’s rather impressive for a Lego title.

Plus, with over 80 characters from the film to play as, you’ll have plenty of options for your “Unexpected Journey.”

#11 The Lord of the Rings Online

Platform: PC OS X

Release Date: April 24, 2007

Genre: Massively multiplayer online role-playing game

It’s almost a tradition at some point that a fantasy world with almost limitless potential would get an MMO of some kind. Many of them don’t last very long, but The Lord of the Rings Online has been online for almost 12 years! Sure, it has much of the same stuff as other MMOs you’ve likely played, such as World of Warcraft, but this MMORPG has the “Tolkien Twist” that makes it rather enjoyable.

By that, I mean the game embraces the lore of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work and crafts as accurate an interpretation of Middle-Earth as you’re ever going to see. All the main locations are here, and that also means you’ll be able to be your favorite race from this realm. Whether you want to be a human, elf, dwarf, Hobbit, orc, or something else entirely, you have plenty of options available to you!

Then, once you have your character, you can go and explore Middle-Earth to your heart’s content! You can try to be a great warrior who embarks on epic adventures, or you can relax in the Shire and farm your life away! With this much freedom and the constant updates the game has had since its arrival over a decade ago, you can see why many would claim this is the best game in the Lord of the Rings franchise.

#10 The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age

Platform: PS2, Xbox, GameCube

Release Date: November 2, 2004

Genre: Role-playing

Before I dive into this game, I need to note that for a time, one of the biggest issues of developing this franchise into a video game was difficult because of the rights involved. If you didn’t own certain rights from the Tolkien estate, you couldn’t do anything or were limited in what you could use. That’s why The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age might have been a decent RPG, but was more remembered for being a “knockoff” of Final Fantasy instead of a true retelling of the classic saga.

I’m not joking about the Final Fantasy reference either, as many noted that the game’s turn-based gameplay was almost an exact copy of Final Fantasy X. As such, there are “active-time” battles for you to take on while also trying to progress the plot through “quests.” It’s not a bad way to take things, but it’s something that many felt could’ve been better.

Another issue was how the story and characters were shown. At times, they focused on the events of the films, while at other points, they did entirely new battles that were only seen in the books. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age wasn’t a bad game, but it was one that could’ve been better with some polish.

#9 Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth

Platform: PC

Release Date: April 19, 2019

Genre: Adventure, RPG, Strategy

Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth is an app and not really a game you can play on its own. This is a companion application for your mobile phone that requires the Lord of the Rings – Journeys in Middle-Earth board game. If you own the board game, this application will help you advance through different campaigns and keep track of things like XP and your inventory.

Even if you’re not much of a board game player, this helpful addition could help ease you into this blast of a tabletop game. You’ll find the companion application is free to download for both Android and iOS platforms. However, keep in mind that if you want anything outside of the first main campaign, you’ll need to purchase the additional DLC packs.

#8 The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth

Platform: PC

Release Date: December 6, 2004

Genre: Real-time strategy

You’re going to notice a trend with certain titles on this list. That being that sometimes the sequel isn’t better than the original. In this case, I’m talking about The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth. Like with the sequel, this is a classic RTS-style title, but one that was more focused on the movie’s events, with a certain twist involved, of course.

As you would expect from a grand-scale fantasy RTS, the game has multiple factions you can play as, and you’ll need to use the world’s resources to keep that army growing and going. You can play as either the human kingdoms of Rohan or Gondor or choose to be evil and fight the hordes of Isengard or Mordor.

If you play as the humans, you’ll work through many of the big events of the books and films, including taking down Isengard, surviving Moria, fighting at the Black Gate, and so on. However, if you play as the evil hordes, you’ll get an alternate storyline that ends with Sauron victorious, and that was an enticing lure for many gamers.

While not the deepest RTS, this was a fun new twist on Lord of the Rings, and it sold well. What more could you ask for?

#7 The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-Earth)

Platform: PC

Release Date: November 2011

Genre: Mod

Much like Left 4 Dead 2’s mod of Helm’s Deep, The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-Earth) is a mod for Mount & Blade: Warband. An action RPG strategy game, Mount & Blade: Warband came out in 2010, and this mod simply replicates The Lord of the Rings while keeping the title’s addicting gameplay intact. This is a single-player campaign where players are able to create their character, with races including humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, Uruk, or Uruk-hai.

While the mod offers a new storyline and settings for Mount & Blade: Warband, the combat is mainly the same with just a few key differences. For instance, you won’t be able to start a siege but can still aid in sieges. Likewise, troops will remain stationary at the start of battles until the order of attack is given. In terms of the storyline adaptation, while there is the ability to go through the game fighting for either side of the war, the developers behind the mod choose to go through the novels as their source material rather than Peter Jackson’s film trilogy.

#6 The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Platform: PC, PS 2, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Xbox, Mobile, OS X

Release Date: PC – November 3, 2003

PS2 – November 4, 2003

Game Boy Advance, GameCube & Xbox – November 5, 2003

Mobile – December 1, 2003

OS X – April 10, 2004

Genre: Hack and slash, action

It’s honestly a bit hilarious that I have two video game adaptations of the Lord of the Rings movies on here, as traditionally, those games can be rather “mid.” However, much like with its predecessor, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was a thrilling hack and slash adventure that many enjoyed playing. Some even compared it to Gauntlet if you can believe it.

Another key thing that helped separate this title from other adaptations is that the team wasn’t trying to retell the movie’s plot, which would’ve been difficult for multiple reasons, but instead, give players a feeling of what it was like in the “critical moments” of the film.

Not unlike the previous title I discussed, you’ll have multiple characters to play as, meaning you’ll have unique ways to take down foes you come across. Arguably, the best part is that some of the “paths” feature not only Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas but also Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam!

While it wasn’t the longest game ever, and they had to “take liberties” with the plot not to spoil the film, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King proved once again that you could take a movie property, turn it into a game, and have it actually do well.

#5 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Platform: PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, mobile phone

Release Date: PS2 – October 21, 2002

Game Boy Advance – November 12, 2002

Xbox – December 30, 2002

GameCube – December 31, 2002

Mobile – May 1, 200

Genre: Action, hack and slash

I’ll be honest with you here. More times than not, you’re not going to see movies turned into video games on “best of” lists, and for a very specific reason: they often suck! And yet, there are games like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers that prove that there are exceptions to every rule. Plus, the gameplay felt familiar in many ways due to it being a third-person hack-and-slash title like Gothic or even Devil May Cry, to a lesser extent.

Easily, one of the more fun elements of the title was being able to take on the levels of the game as either Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli. Each character played differently, so you’d have to test yourself against many foes with what you had to try and survive each level.

Plus, like other games of this genre, you were graded on how well you did, giving players a desire to do better and master the combo system.

If that wasn’t enough, they incorporated the movie influence in other ways, including unlocking special interviews with the actors behind the characters so they could get cool insights into how they viewed their roles. See? Sometimes, movie-based video games can be awesome!

#4 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Linux, OS X

Release Date: PC, PS4, Xbox One – September 30, 2014

PS3, Xbox 360 – November 18, 2014

Linux, OS X – July 30, 2015

Genre: Action-adventure

Sometimes, a franchise gets in need of a “reboot” of sorts. Or, in the case of video games, a “fresh pair of eyes” to make a franchise seem even more interesting than it was before despite it not technically having anything new to show. That’s where Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor came in. This was a game that took advantage of certain franchises’ successes in how they built their world and gameplay, say, like Assassin’s Creed or the first two Batman Arkham titles, and then put a Middle-Earth spin on it.

In this case, you play a ranger named Talion, who is forced to bond with an elf spirit to get revenge on those who killed their families. That bond will lead you deep into the realm of Mordor, where you’ll learn some dark truths about Sauron and the One Ring.

Gameplay-wise, you didn’t just fight against Mordor’s armies; you built up an army yourself and used your abilities to bring others to your side. There was even a Nemesis system that would ensure your fights with key figures would reverberate throughout the rest of the game.

The title was so successful that it was the biggest launch the series had ever seen before, and prompted the creation of the sequel we talked about earlier. It was a true breath of fresh air that arguably hasn’t been matched since.

#3 Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Platform: PC, PS, Xbox One

Release Date: October 10, 2017

Genre: Action role-playing, hack and slash

How does one follow up on a best-selling title that no one expected to experience? You make it bigger and try to make it better. In the case of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, they did make it bigger and improved upon the gameplay that they established in the original action-adventure title; you have to wonder if they truly made it better. I’ll talk about the OG title later, but for now, let’s talk about its sequel.

In the title, you once again take on the role of the Ranger known as Talion. It’s his goal, as well as the goal of his “partner,” the spirit wraith Celebrimbor, to build up an army to bring down Sauron once and for all. This game “canonically” takes place before the main events of The Lord of the Rings.

The sequel allowed you to explore Mordor with even more scope than before, including taking on massive siege locations and using the Nemesis system to new heights.

However, the game’s story did falter, and no one liked the microtransactions that were almost forced upon players. There’s a reason that, despite its success, another game like this wasn’t made. That being said, it was good for what it was, but proof that you can push things too far if you’re not careful.

#2 The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II

Platform: PC, Xbox 360

Release Date: PC – February 28, 2006

Xbox 360 – July 5, 2006

Genre: Real-time strategy

One thing that’ll become clear as I go through this list is that The Lord Of The Rings has touched upon many genres over the years, including ones you wouldn’t expect. The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II was one of a few that touched on the RTS genre and brought it to Middle-Earth, not unlike what happened with Star Wars: Empire at War!

However, a key thing that separated the sequel from the original game was the title’s plot. The original focused on the main trilogies events, while the sequel focused on “expanded events” that weren’t directly covered in the films or even the books. In this case, the “Good Campaign” that you can do focuses on an attack on Rivendell or going to the Goblin nation to kill their king and stop them from supporting Sauron.

Then, in the “Evil Campaign,” you’ll work alongside Mordor’s forces, including the Nazgul, to ransack the world, bring the War in the North to an end, and even conquer the Shire! It gets pretty dark.

There were more factions in the game, new heroes to summon, and a “fresh” feel that some liked and others didn’t. Even with its faults, the game still holds up well today.

#1 Third Age – Total War

Platform: PC

Release Date: April 27, 2009

Genre: Mod

For our number one pick, we have another incredible mod. Third Age is a game mod for Medieval II: Total War. If you’re familiar with Total War, the gameplay should be easy to get through. In this RTS title, instead of fighting historical medieval battles, you’re now able to transport yourself to the high fantasy world of Middle-earth.

Third Age brings in a map that’s filled with over 100 settlements featured in the lore of Lord of the Rings along with faithfully rebuilt locations. Players can travel from Minas Tirith to Isengard, all while battling against different factions. Speaking of factions, there are quite a few of them scattered across the lands, and each will have its own strengths and weaknesses. The group behind this mod even reworked the AI to make it a bit more of a challenge.