A new Lord of the Rings board game is on the way, and it has a twist that sets it apart from everything else on the Middle-earth shelf. In The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict, every player simultaneously commands both the Free Peoples and the Shadow, waging war against the players on their left and right at the same time.
Office Dog Games, the Asmodee studio behind the award-winning Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game, announced Circle of Conflict at GAMA Expo. The game is designed by Bryan Bornmueller, who also created the Fellowship trick-taking game (a BGG award winner and Origins Award nominee), alongside two community designers, Stephen and Geoff. It supports two to four players, plays in about 60 minutes, and releases in November 2026.
The game blends dice drafting, hidden movement, and resource management with a dry-erase book that each player uses to track their armies. Eight custom dice fuel the action, and iconic characters like Gandalf and the Witch-king can be recruited to tip the balance. The hidden movement element stands out: you mask where your Fellowship is travelling while simultaneously hunting your opponents' Fellowships on your own player board.
"From the first moment I played Stephen and Geoff's prototype I was fascinated with playing both the good guys and the bad guys at the same time," said Bornmueller. Circle of Conflict will get a limited pre-release at Gen Con this August, with the full retail launch following in November. If you are planning to attend, see who else is going and get your group sorted.
Sources: Office Dog Games | ICv2 | The One Ring
