Bryan Bornmueller's cooperative trick-taking series set in Middle-earth is back with a sequel, and reviewers are calling it a step up from the original. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game, published by Office Dog Games and distributed by Asmodee, has landed a perfect 5 out of 5 from GamesRadar, which called it "an elegant card game that's easy to master but provides hours of fun." Meeple Mountain gave it 4 out of 5, praising how it builds on the original formula.
If you missed the first game, here's the pitch: it's a cooperative trick-taking card game for 1-4 players where you play through the story of Tolkien's novels across 17 chapters. Each chapter sets conditions the fellowship must meet, and you win or lose based on how well your group coordinates its card play. Each chapter takes about 20 minutes, making it easy to fit a session into a weeknight.
The Two Towers shakes up the formula with new mechanics. White Tower and Black Tower cards can automatically win a trick if only one appears, and the Ring suit from Fellowship is gone, reflecting the story's shift away from Frodo and Sam. Orc cards carry real danger: if you're forced to lead a trick with one, you lose the entire chapter. It's a standalone game, so you don't need Fellowship to play, though the difficulty assumes some familiarity with how the system works.
The Fellowship game was a breakout hit in early 2025, unseating Sky Team to top BGG's weekly new-owner charts. With reviews this strong, The Two Towers looks set to follow the same path. If your group has been looking for something quick, cooperative, and thematic, find a game night near you and give this one a go.
Sources: GamesRadar | Meeple Mountain | BoardGameWire | Office Dog Games
