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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game: Deathless & Eldest
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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game
2027
Rules assistance for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.
Rules assistant for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game is a board game released in 2027 for 1–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Bryan Bornmueller and its main mechanics are Cooperative Game, Communication Limits, and Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game.
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About the game
The Return of the King Trick-Taking Game is a cooperative card game for 1 to 4 players that takes you through the conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic story over the course of 20 chapters. This game is a continuation of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Trick-Taking Game and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Trick-Taking Game but is playable on its own. (Chapters 1 through 36 can be found in the previous games.) Based on the epic conclusion to J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary tale, The Return of the King Trick-Taking Game brings players to the climactic final chapters of The Lord of the Rings. Frodo and Sam continue their perilous journey into Mordor, Aragorn rallies The Free Peoples of Middle-earth beneath a single banner, and the forces of Sauron gather for one final assault. The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance and naturally, it’s up to you and your fellow players to see the story through. Like its predecessors, The Return of the King Trick-Taking Game transforms classic trick-taking gameplay into a cooperative adventure full of difficult decisions, evolving challenges, and memorable story moments. Whether you’ve played through the first two games or are discovering the series for the very first time, this final installment delivers a new adventure that captures the excitement, tension, and heroism of Tolkien’s iconic finale. Familiar mechanics, new challenges Players will once again work together to complete a series of increasingly difficult objectives inspired by the events of The Return of the King. Every card played matters, every trick counts, and every decision can help (or hinder) The Fellowship’s chances of success. Prefer to adventure alone? Solo play returns as well, allowing you to tackle Middle-earth’s greatest challenges at your own pace. And while fans of the previous games will feel right at home, this final chapter introduces new twists and surprises that ensure the journey remains fresh right through to the last hand. —description from the publisher
Editions
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking GameENOffice Dog2027
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Office Dog
Questions and answers
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Cooperative Game, Communication Limits, and Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game are: Bryan Bornmueller. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Trick-Taking Game as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.