Asmodee The Lord of the Rings Journeys in Middle-Earth Board Game - Epic Cooperative Adventure Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 14+, 1-5 Players, 60+ Minute Playtime

Overall, Lord of the Rings (LOTR): Journeys in Middle Earth is a must own for LOTR fans. I have always wanted to get into a table top role playing game (RPG) for years (>10 years), but I could never convince my wife until LOTR Journeys in Middle Earth. Both of us love the franchise so that probably helped convince her to try it out. First off, this app driven game is the game master so it doesn't require you to come up with a story or keep track of how much health enemies have; all of it is stored in the easy to use app (downloaded via Steam, Apple store, or Google store). The app tells you which map tiles to put down and where (including initial placement of enemies, various tokens, etc), and you simply place all of the physical pieces on your table to match the app. It is all interactive through your tablet or mouse (if you're using a computer) to select what you want to do. The app even saves your progress so if you can't finish a mission or adventure because it is getting late, you can save the game and come back to it (you'll just have to keep track of where your enemies are on the board). The app experience is so well done and it really facilitates the table top experience; however, I wish there was an "undo" function if you made a mistake after confirming an action. The quality of the heroes/enemies, tiles, and cards are great. Also, there are separate character packs that you can buy as well (I own both of them). The base campaign is made up of multiple adventures, and the game will tell you whether or not failing that particular adventure will cause you to fail the campaign. If you fail a mission that requires you to pass, you can just reset the adventure for that particular mission and replay it (didn't figure that out until 2nd playthrough). You can easily play some adventures (adventures make up the campaign) for 2-3 of hours whereas some are quicker than others. It really depends on how much you strategize. This is a role playing game, so you do upgrade your character/class and items throughout the campaign. Once again, the app stores all of this information for you and it is very easy to use. The large booklet of instructions is easy to follow, but we did run into some instances that required us to search online for a solution to our dilemma. I own both physical expansions and recently finished the Shadowed Paths expansion. I haven't played the Spreading War expansion yet, but I'd recommend getting Shadowed Paths for sure. I haven't purchased the digital expansions yet, but you can get them on Steam, apple store, or Google store. I will eventually purchase the digital expansions. I would have liked to have seen more story lines included in the base game (maybe they could have included the digital expansions with the base game). We absolutely love this game and hope more content will be developed for this game! Great family memories! ***We play a lot of different board games such as Betrayal at House on the Hill, Plunder: a pirates life, Castle Panic (with all expansions), Mansions of Madness (with expansions), Pandemic (with expansions), Ticket to Ride Europe, and many others.****

My wife and I absolutely love this game. I bought it for her birthday and we've probably played more than a hundred hours at this point. Do note that this base pack only comes with one campaign (though it is a long one!). There are more campaigns available that you can buy, but most of them require buying more physical expansion sets as well. That said, the map layouts and many of the encounters on each scenario are randomized, giving the campaign a lot of replayability. We initially played with each of us just controlling one character. One thing that was a little frustrating was with only two characters we were very limited in how many actions we could perform per turn, so we couldn't do most of the optional encounters (and get their lore points). As a result we couldn't even upgrade all our gear by the end of the campaign. On our next playthrough we decided to play two characters each, and it feels much better in terms of progression, even though the scenarios themselves are far more challenging. But I would recommend learning with just one character until you're very comfortable with the mechanics, otherwise two at a time would be overwhelming. I would definitely recommend getting some sleeves for the cards, since with all the shuffling you do, ours have already started to degrade.

Amazing game. Great tabletop RPG without the need for a GM. I play with my wife and kids. Everyone love it.

I love this game. Love love love this game. Not because I am a Lord of the Rings enthusiast, just because it is a really fun board game. Its gameplay combines a lot of the elements I like from games like Gloomhaven and Legends of Andor and minimizes some of the drawbacks of those games. If you like cooperative campaign-style board games, you will probably love this one. That said, there are a few things I would have liked to know before buying, and I will share some of those to help readers know if this is what they want: 1. This game uses an app to run the campaign. It is not just a "helper" app to keep track of your stats, it basically serves as your DM for the game. Make sure that you install the app on the device that you plan to use for the entire game. I recommend using a device that you can somehow stream to a TV to make it easier for the whole party to see. Passing around a phone or tablet is annoying and hinders the sense of cooperation and party unity. It would be very helpful if the app could connect to the TV via Chromecast, but it sadly lacks that feature. 2. The starting characters are locked into the game. You can change classes between games, but you cannot change characters. The game makes it seem like this is a minor choice that can be corrected later, but it is a very important consideration. If you are playing on easy mode, the game gives all the players plenty of inspiration, so it is probably not worthwhile to have a character who excels in giving other players inspiration. 3. You cannot tag players in and out of the game. Whoever starts the campaign is in it until the end, and no one new can be added. The only option would be to start over as a new save game. My weekly gaming group varies week to week as far as who shows up, so we could not really play this at our regular board game night. 4. If you do decide to have multiple campaigns running at once, I recommend keeping track on paper of what cards each character has in each campaign. That will make setup easier so you can quickly look at what items and cards each character has. 5. The main campaign is comparatively short, compared to Gloomhaven for example. If you want this to be a game that you play for years, you will need to factor in the cost of DLC campaigns when assessing the value.

This game has a steep learning curve, but once you learn the rules, the gameplay is enjoyable and the Lord of the Rings lore is fantastic. It uses an online app to act as dungeon master, which makes it approachable for those who are new to RPGs. The game maps seem to be procedurally generated by the app. Your progress is saved online, so you can switch between devices and pick up where you left off. The only complaint I have is that the gameplay would have benefited from using dice. Instead, players must draw cards from their decks to decide the outcome of battles and exploration-based tasks (e.g., trying to open a locked chest). Unfortunately, many of the best character ability cards lack the "success" symbol, which makes it harder to win battles the more you level up a character and unlock powerful skills.

This game is an incredibly fun adventure using middle earth as a backdrop. I am thankful for the new "Adventure" mode with a scaled back difficulty. It is very helpful in learning some of the depth of the game and how certain cards and heroes work together. I've played through the 1st adventure 3 times using all of the characters in pairs. All the games were fun and varied. Of course, the same main plot points are in each playthrough, but the encounters and map layout were different every time and made my time very enjoyable. Highly recommend this game.

I'm a board game vet and was frankly worried when I read the reviews for this game after buying it. However I just don't really get where you'd have significant complaints. The app is very functional, the game plays like a lighter but also FAR easier to manage version of gloom haven, has just a splash of Tolkien lore, it gets players talking and trying to collaborate, the rules are presented fine- with us only misplaying one slight rule the first time and then being good to go. If you are looking for gloom haven you will be disappointed, if you are looking for the LOTR lcg you will be disappointed as the customization of your character just cant compare to deck building with a ton of sets. If you are looking for something that oozes Tolkien's lore intensely you will be disappointed. Basically it is not a game for people exclusively looking for a hardcore experience, but neither is it a game that would be for total casuals so I suppose I could see why some didn't take to it. What I can strictly favorably compare it to is something like betrayal house on the hill. The co-op portions are stronger, it is definitely more satisfying, the general components are way better, and there is more depth all while conveying a narrative. If you are looking for something that involves strategy, a bit of customization, a bit of Tolkien lore, a good time laughing and planning with your friends, all with some pretty nice minis, then you will love this.

I call this a "board" game because the app makes it so easy to play multiple campaigns and not need to remember anything. I have played with 4 people, 3 people, 2 people and all by myself. When I played by myself I played as 4 different characters and it was much easier to see the strengths each character has. I bought an organizer from Go7Gaming and it has made it so much easier to play with building the different decks and also added Fantasy Flight's card sleeves. I also added some 3D printed player boards I found on eBay and the organization made all the difference. I use my ChromeCast to mirror my phone and put it on my TV so we all could see what is happening. Some people will say the app is too involved but this is most definitely a board game. I have played a total of 18 adventures or missions but haven't gotten further that the 6th mission and there is a lot that is the same with each mission so it was easier the second and third time going through. They are different though and the maps are very much randomized so I see the replay-ability being extremely high. The fact the Fantasy Flight can just put up a whole new campaign once or twice a year and some figure/card expansions as well has made me even more excited for what is to come. There is zero buyer's remorse here. The only downside here is it does take 45 min to an hour minimum to play an adventure so if you have kids good luck So you understand my background here is a list of some of my favorite board/card games which this one tops. Dominion Near and Far Above and Below Haunted Mansion Splendor Forgotten Island Photosynthesis Unearthed Catan

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Grande titolo per gli appassionati del Signore degli Anelli (a meno che vi dia fastidio che qualcuno mischi i vostri eroi e storie non canoniche). Si va ad esplorare, si combatte in una campagna lunga e rigiocabile. Miniature di buona qualità. Richiede l’uso di una app per giocare. Unico difetto: se perdi uno scenario devi rigiocare tutto da capo.

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Played with friends and had a blast. Would definitely recommend it for people into Ttrpgs who want to play with a new twist. Definitely looking forward to new sessions with my gang.

Albeit a bit expensive, it is a great game to play for fans of Tolkien's middle earth. I play with my wife and can envisage roping my kids into it when they're old enough. Seems to be enough playable characters and game variability (scenario maps randomness and story development based and success/failure of missions) for good replay value after while, and items acquisition and leveling up feel exciting. We've only played about 5 sessions,winning some and losing others, but already bought the expansion with extra minis and cards. We are playing the adventure mode, somewhat easier that allows exploring a lot more and gaining a lot more "experience" (lore for leveling up items), that's a better fit for friendly family gaming... We abandoned a "normal" mode campaign after getting upset because we failed 3 times in a row haha. Does require a decent computer/device to run the app all the while you're playing it, it CANNOT be played without the companion app.