Epic New Lord of the Rings Game Lets You Play as a Villain

It’s a busy ol’ time for The Lord of the Rings franchise, as The Fellowship of the Ring film celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Filming on The Hunt For Gollum will likely get underway this year ahead of its late 2027 release, with Season Three of The Rings of Power likely also set for a late 2026 or 2027 return.

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of the Shire is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 soon, with tabletop game The Lord of the Rings: Foes of Middle-Earth set to arrive this year.

It’s not the only tabletop offering, as The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict is another new release, and this one lets you play as a villain.

Created by Asmodee, Circle of Conflict is a two to four-player strategy dice game.

Will You Seek To Save or Destroy Middle-Earth in Circle of Conflict?

“It is the Third Age of Middle-earth and a great war between the many nations is unfolding,” the synopsis begins.

“In The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict, the destiny of The One Ring wavers upon the fulcrum of good and evil.

“This strategic dice game for two to four players pits you against your neighbours as you simultaneously command both The Shadow and The Free Peoples armies against the players on either side of you.”

The game features eight custom dice, four battle boards, dry-erase markers, a Gollum wooden token, player boards, a Ring board, “and more”, so it’s a pretty comprehensive offering.

You’ll need to use “strategy, prediction, and clever dice management to shift the balance of power between good and evil”.

“Will you bring victory to Middle-earth or plunge it into shadow?” Asmodee asks.

It’s described as a “fast-paced” game, which is perfect for those of you who don’t have time to dedicate to lengthy campaigns.

Asmodee

The game is, you’ll be glad to hear, set to land this year, but there is a bit of a wait ahead.

The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict launches on 6 November, but it is available to pre-order now.

It’ll set you back $49.99 which I think is a fair price. I’ve seen tie-in tabletops of this nature set you back far more than that before.

There’s also an option to wishlist the game on Asmodee’s site if you’re not yet sure whether to commit or not.

Personally, I’m itching for the chance to take control of The Shadow army.

I’m a very good natured person. I’d like the opportunity to indulge in being a villain and step into Sauron’s shoes. I bet they’re very toasty.