[Board/Tactical Game]: Lord of the Rings, reviewed by Matt Drake (5/2)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11348.phtml

Matt Drake's Summary:

Reiner Knizia does a Lord of the Rings game for kids. But can grown-ups play it, too?

Go to the full review for more information.

Post originally by John at 2005-06-29 07:00:29
Converted from Phorums BB System

I have a LOTR game Knizia wrote, a nail-biting cooperative game played against the game with several expansions.

Is it possible that THIS LOTR game is not by Knizia?

Post originally by vbh70s at 2005-06-29 07:31:45
Converted from Phorums BB System

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/6352

Note the designer.

Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2005-06-29 10:29:19
Converted from Phorums BB System

No, he really wrote two games with the exact same name.

The cooperative, adult one is published in the US by Fantasy Flight.

The kids game is published in the US by Eagle Games.

Post originally by Guy Girardi at 2005-06-29 12:10:54
Converted from Phorums BB System

The original German name is "Der Herr der Ringe - das Kinderspiele" i.e. "The Lord of the Rings - the Children's Game".

I think that the reviewer's view is absolutely right. But apart from being shallow, the game has other major problems:

- There is no ring in the game which is strange for a game based on TLotR.
- The (nameless) Hobbits fight Nazguls and even Sauron himself in hand to hand combat. Also, they are working against each other, not cooperating.
- The game is aimed at very young children that simply cannot have read the Lord of the Rings and hopefully have not yet seen the films. So, what's the point in selling them a LotR game?

All in all this seems like a lame attempt to profit some more from the LotR licence.

Post originally by cga at 2005-06-29 23:39:25
Converted from Phorums BB System

I don't think that this game is meant to be "sold" to children; I think that it is targeted at parents who are fans of the books/movies, and who are hoping to "break in" their young children on LOTR. In other words, as you put it, an "attempt to profit some more from the LOTR license."

Post originally by Guy Girardi at 2005-06-30 03:49:22
Converted from Phorums BB System

Not meant as a personal attack, but I think we are quibbling over semantics here. The fact is that it’s a game that is supposed to be played by very young children that cannot have a clue what TLotR is. If you want to introduce children to Tolkien's world, do a game on the Hobbit.

In fact, Knizia’s German publisher Kosmos produced another children’s board game which is based on the Hobbit called “Der kleine Hobbit”. I don’t know if it’s available in English but I think the fact that in a very short time they produced 2 children’s games on Tolkien’s work and considering the less than mediocre quality of Knizia’s game could suggest that they are not only attempting to profit from the licence but are trying to milk it. Knizia alone has 3 different LoTR board games out with a further 2 supplement boxes. At least, so far, they (Kosmos) spared us from “The Settlers of Rohan”.