10 Best Lord of the Rings Games (LoTR Games Worth Playing)

Lord of the Rings games are perfect for when you’ve watched the movies one too many times but you still want something in that world (that is not the TV show, because in my honest opinion, just no).

Me and my family love watching Lord of The Rings movies during cold winter days. We make preparations and get a bunch of food, snacks, and beverages and we spend the whole day re-watching the holy trilogy. It’s one of the sacred traditions of our household that we’ll probably cherish for the rest of our lives. 

But in the meantime (between rewatches), I do like to dip my toes into that world, and games are great for that. Not all of them are good and worth playing though (and there are a lot out there), but there are quite a few you can enjoy. So, I’ve rounded them up and you’ll find my top picks and fan favorites below.

1.The Lord of the Rings Online

The Lord of the Rings Online is a free MMORPG taking place during the events of The Lord of the Rings. The game was released back in 2007 and since then it had numerous expansions. 

I understand that not everyone is a fan of MMORPG’s and considering that this one is a little bit older, you might be reluctant to try it out. 

So let me try to make a case for the game. 

Firstly, if you somehow missed it, it’s FREE. If that didn’t convince you then here are some more interesting things: a massive open world, an amazing/sprawling story, beautiful soundtracks, a great community, and a bunch of other little things that make this game a worthy candidate for this list.

Like MMORPGs? You should try some of these.

2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor was released back in 2014 and it definitely was one of my favorite games that year. I was so overjoyed when I started playing it and had so much fun. I remember thinking, it doesn’t get better than this. 

The game takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies. You get to play as a ranger by the name of Talion. Without going too much into detail, I guarantee you’ll have a blast with this game. 

3. LEGO Lord of the Rings

This list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t include at least one of the LEGO games. But hey, give me a break. The game is actually nice. It was released back in 2012. 

You get to play as all 9 members of the fellowship. Which I believe is the only game that has done it so far. And on top of everything the LEGO humor is just a cherry on the top that makes this game an absolute gem. 

And if you want more great Lego games, check these out.

4. Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Shadow of War is the sequel to 2014’s Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, both of which are based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium. You get to continue the story of Talion with added new mechanics and bigger regions. Even though I prefer the first part more, I still believe that this game is worth your time and you’ll definitely have fun playing it

5. The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria

Return to Moria was released last year and the reviews for it weren’t the best. It follows a party of dwarves as they try to retake their homeland Moria and restore the long-lost ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm. 

It’s a survival-crafting video game and you’ll have to mine for materials to craft tools, armor, weapons and various structures. And you’ll have to do that while fighting orcs, cave trolls, and other creatures. 

I still believe that it has a lot of potential and can be an enormous source of entertainment and fun. And hopefully, they’ll continue working on it and make a lot of improvements to make it better.

6. The Battles for Middle Earth 2

The Battle for Middle-earth II delivers the ultimate fantasy battlefield. It’s a real-time strategy game that somehow captures the sweeping scale of Tolkien’s world and the thrill of building your own strongholds in the wilds of Middle-earth. The factions are distinct, the maps are beautifully faithful to the lore, and the campaign lets you play both the forces of good and evil.

What really cements its legacy is the War of the Ring mode — a Risk-style meta-game layered over the RTS core. It’s long overdue for a modern remaster, but it’s still worth playing.

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age

The Third Age is a criminally underrated console RPG where you follow a ragtag group of heroes on a parallel path to the Fellowship’s journey. While the characters are original, the game leans heavily into iconic movie moments, so you’re fighting alongside Gandalf at Helm’s Deep or squaring off against the Balrog in Moria.

The combat is classic turn-based RPG, with party roles, special abilities, and even the chance to play as the villains in bonus “Evil Mode.” It’s not the deepest RPG ever made, but it nails the vibe of the films and scratches that itch for something a little more character-driven and adventurous.

8. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Movie tie-in games get a bad rap, and for good reason, but The Return of the King absolutely nailed it. Released alongside the final film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy, this hack-and-slash action game captured the cinematic intensity of the movies while letting you be Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Frodo, and more. The level design mirrors the film’s key battles, from the chaos of Minas Tirith to the terrifying climb up Cirith Ungol.

Co-op is where this game really shines, you and a buddy slicing through orc hordes, leveling up your characters, and unlocking devastating combos. It’s fast, fun, and gloriously faithful to the source material. The only problem is that it’s older and also not widely available. For example, you can’t find it on Steam. But you can find PS2 copies all over eBay, and maybe they re-release it one day on PS5.

9. Tales of the Shire

Okay, a slight cheat here — this one isn’t out yet. But it will be in July and it’s perfect if you love Lord of The Rings but prefer cozy games to standard adventures or RPGs.

It’s a cozy life sim set in Hobbiton. Instead of epic battles and dark lords, you’re cooking, fishing, farming, and building your perfect hobbit home. Think Animal Crossing meets Tolkien, with gentle music, warm colors, and everything that makes hobbits and their lifestyle so great.

If you’ve ever wanted to just live in the Shire, tend your garden, and chat with neighbors about second breakfast, this game is your dream come true.

10. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Before The Return of the King upped the ante, The Two Towers laid the groundwork for what a good LOTR action game could be. Based on the first two films (despite the title), this hack-and-slash classic lets you play as Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli through some of the trilogy’s most iconic battles. It was surprisingly deep for its time, with level-up systems, unlockable moves, and a real sense of weight and impact in combat.

It also stood out for its presentation, intercutting scenes from the movies directly into the game and blending them with seamless transitions into gameplay. For fans playing this in the early 2000s, it felt like living the films.

Final Thoughts

This game list should be sufficient to keep you entertained for days to come. And by the time you go through all of them, you can rewatch the trilogy. Seems like an enchanted circle but when something is so good, who cares? 

Enjoy whatever makes you happy and don’t worry, I’m confident there will be more Lord of the Rings games to come. I just hope they turn out better than the ones that were recently released. With that, there is only one thing that I can say. Farewell, my brave Hobbits. My work is now finished. Here at last, on the shores of the sea… comes the end of our Fellowship.