The best Lord of the Rings games cover a lot of ground. In this ranking, you'll find some of the best action games, best survival games, and best strategy games based on Tolkien's universe. In fact, whether you're a fan of the novels or were drawn in by Peter Jackson's film adaptations, there's a LOTR game experience that'll be perfect for you right here.
From retreading the footsteps of the Fellowship to exploring an uncharted part of Middle-earth's history, the best Lord of the Rings games primarily stick to the established Lord of the Rings timeline. That means you won't see anything directly based on Amazon Prime's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV series. So, if you were hoping to get spoilers ahead of The Rings of Power season 3, sorry in advance. But the good news is that there's plenty more to explore below.
Some of these titles are available on Xbox Game Pass, while some PS2-exclusive gems might only be accessible if you're lucky enough to own your old console still. Either way, we've got you covered. Check out the 10 best Lord of the Rings games below and experience Middle-earth first-hand.
10. The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
Developer: Pandemic Studios
Publisher: EA
Released: 2009
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest is a mixed bag. A class-based action game from the minds behind Star Wars: Battlefront, Conquest was rightly criticized for its lackluster animations and underwhelming narrative. In fact, in our The Lord of the Rings: Conquest review, we gave the game only one star. But it was easy to overlook its flaws when you brought another player along for the warg ride.
Whether you were playing with a group online or with a friend in local co-op, it was always fun to take on the supporting role of a mage, dispelling arrows away from the main attacking force, or get into the thick of it as Aragorn or Legolas. While Conquest ultimately suffered from the same simplistic combat rhythms as Star Wars: Battlefront before it, there was a lot of fun to be had jumping into the middle of some of the film trilogy's biggest setpieces.
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Publisher: EA
Released: 2004
A turn-based Lord of the Rings RPG developed in the vein of Final Fantasy and Tales franchises? Sign me up. While The Third Age does run in parallel to the film trilogy, your party only shows up for certain key moments in The Lord of the Rings timeline. Gandalf guides you with collectible film clips that feature original narration from the voice actor himself.
Pursuing the Fellowship and fighting alongside them across the film's battles is a nostalgia trip worth taking for any Tolkien fan. The Third Age offers a different perspective on The Lord of the Rings and found success with an interesting approach to combat design and overworld exploration.
This is a great game, and you can read more about it in our Lord of the Rings: The Third Age review.
8. The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
Developer: Free Range Games
Publisher: North Beach Games
Released: 2023
Innovative, true to its source material, and just plain fun, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is one of the best LOTR games in recent years. After all, who better to lead a Lord of the Rings-style Minecraft survival crafting game than an intrepid dwarf? Off the back of Daedalic's unfortunate Lord of the Rings: Gollum earlier in the year, Return to Moria is a welcome example of a LOTR game done right. Being a live service title, it shines in multiplayer mode.
The aim of the game is to team up with fellow dwarves and follow in the steps of the Fellowship, now in the fourth age of Middle Earth following the events of Peter Jackson's film trilogy. Whether you're going it alone with a friend or excavating the mines to reclaim Khazad-dûm from the orcs and goblins that lurk, there is no simple task. Managing your light and noise is essential unless you want to draw attention to yourself, so expect a fair amount of melee combat on top of gathering, crafting, and puzzle-solving in these procedurally generated halls.
7. LEGO The Lord of the Rings
Developer: Traveller's Tales
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Released: 2012
Playing through locations revamped to the tune of LEGO bricks is one thing. But featuring dialogue straight out of the movies elevates this simple LEGO title into a nostalgia-fueled romp through Middle-earth. Meet all the characters you've come to love and see them through the cartoonish lens that LEGO has to offer.
With scenes and scenarios drawn from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy – each of which is imbued with Traveller's Tales sharp comedic instincts and timings, a staple of the LEGO games – LEGO Lord of the Rings features an incredible amount of content to get lost in, and is a must-play for LOTR fans of all ages. It's also one of the best LEGO games, period.
Read more on this gem in our LEGO Lord of the Rings review.
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Developer: Stormfront Studios
Publisher: EA
Released: 2002
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers brought us closer to Middle-earth than any game before it. With its blurring of lines between FMV footage pulled from the Peter Jackson films, fun hack-and-slash action, and recreation of some of LOTR's most iconic battles, The Two Towers was a satisfying licensed game that ran a little on the short side.
Still, there was nothing quite like it at the time, and roaming through Middle-earth while utilizing God of War-esque special attacks to destroy hordes of Orcs and Uruk Hai was a riot. There was room for improvement, but it was a solid first effort.
This game is also based on one of our favorite films, which you can learn more about in our The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers review.
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Publisher: EA
Released: 2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is built on the foundations that Stormfront Studios put down with The Two Towers. With a longer campaign, updated graphics, and new fan-favorite playable characters like Gandalf, The Return of the King handily outdid the action-packed gameplay of its predecessor.
Released before the actual film, The Return of the King also featured unreleased footage from its namesake, which was a welcome bonus for franchise fans desperate for more. Add co-op gameplay into the mix, and you can see why The Return of the King is a compelling trip down Tolkien's lane that's still beloved to this day.
If you fancy checking out the original film before you pick this one up, check out our The Return of the King review.
4. The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth 2
Developer: EA Los Angeles
Publisher: EA
Released: 2006
Arguably one of the best RTS games of the early '00s, The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth 2 took the scale of and spectacle of The Lord of the Rings and put us in command of the action.
Whether you were playing through the Good or Evil story campaigns or jumping online to recreate some of the franchises' biggest battles with your friends, The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth 2 (and its The Rise of the Witch-King expansion) was a compelling, polished strategy game with no shortage of depth and detail. Despite its legacy, The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth 2 had its online servers shut down in 2011 and is sadly no longer sold digitally.
Still, if you want to know more about it, we have a The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth 2 review for you to check out.
3. The Lord of the Rings Online
Developer: In-house
Publisher: Standing Stone Games
Released: 2007
With a wide variety of races and breathtaking locations, Middle-earth is a great place for an MMORPG. With dozens of games out there using dwarves and elves to prop their stories, it's only fair that Lord of the Rings got the same MMO treatment. Launched in 2007, Lord of the Rings Online has undergone several reworks and updates.
Explore iconic locations like the Shire, Gondor, Gundabad, and Mordor across the MMORPG's many expansions. LOTRO even lets you switch to Sauron's side and take charge of powerful monsters to terrorize the Free Peoples. A thriving community paired with a breathing, living world makes for a plethora of possibilities. The Lord of the Rings Online is free-to-play, and the most recent expansion was released in 2021 – and it remains one of the best MMORPGs out there today.
2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Released: 2014
Monolith's first stab at recreating Middle-earth was a breakout hit and one of the best adventure games around. Featuring an original story set before the events of the films, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor gets a lot right. While its open world wasn't the most varied, Shadow of Mordor made up for any shortcomings in that respect with a progressive approach to interactive storytelling.
For as great as the action-adventure combat and tightly woven narrative were, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is remembered because of its Nemesis system – allowing you to participate in and shape Orc power dynamics. Forming personal vendettas with procedurally generated Uruk warriors was a true delight and truly unique.
1. Middle-earth: Shadow of War
Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Released: 2017
If Shadow of Mordor was an ambitious step forward, Middle-earth: Shadow of War was a great leap. Monolith shed the grim aesthetic of its predecessor, and delivered one of the best open world games of the generation in this sequel – expanding upon everything, including the intricate lore of its world and protagonist, Talion. In Shadow of War, the Nemesis System evolves into a genre-defining webbing of inter-connected Orcs.
Orcs even remember how you fought against them, adapting to your playstyle while leveling up alongside you. It's an impressive feat that comes to life during the game's massive castle sieges, culminating in intense boss fights that can be approached in any way you choose. Sure, the drama the Nemesis system creates isn't canon, but Shadow of War is an excellent flagbearer of the Lord of the Rings franchise on its own terms.
If you need more information on our top pick, read our Middle-earth: Shadow of War review!
In terms of new games on the horizon, there is a fresh Lord Of The Rings MMO in the works, and Tales of the Shire is heading our way as well! While we wait for these new titles, you can check out our guide on how to watch all the Lord of the Rings movies and shows in order.
