The journey through Middle-earth steps into a new chapter with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers™ Trick-Taking Game.
Slated for a global release in January 2026 and designed by Bryan Bornmueller, this next installment builds on its predecessor, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™ Trick-Taking Game, while introducing players to new mechanics and thematic elements inspired by the second book in the trilogy.
Here’s a closer look at how The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game stands apart while staying true to its roots, and why it promises an exciting continuation for fans of the first game.
Picking Up Where We Left Off
Although a stand-alone game in the series, The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game picks up right where The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game left off. The chapters in the game begin with Chapter 19 and mirror the continued storyline from Tolkien’s epic. This connection offers a sense of continuity for fans of the first game while ensuring that the sequel feels like a natural progression of the adventure. However, while sharing the classic “trick-taking” DNA, The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game isn’t just “more of the same” and has been designed to strategically shift focus in meaningful ways.
An Ever-Expanding Adventure
One key thematic difference is the leadership of the adventure. Where Frodo led the way in The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game, much of The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game centers on Aragorn and other members of The Fellowship. Frodo and Sam return to the spotlight in the second half of the game (accompanied by a familiar, though not always welcome, face… can you guess who?). This reflects the structure of Tolkien’s novel, which splits its narrative between The Fellowship’s journey and Frodo’s perilous trek with The One Ring.
Designer, Bryan Bornmueller wanted players to experience something fresh while staying connected to the core mechanics they loved in The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game.
This variety extends even through set up with the new “Tuck” ability which allows players with certain cards, like Éomer, the option to tuck a card under their character card before the round begins. This card becomes temporarily unavailable for tricks but can be strategically reintroduced when the timing is right. This small but impactful mechanic has been designed to mirror the ever-changing tactics and decisions faced by Tolkien’s characters.
“Being a sequel, I wanted there to be much more variety in gameplay with bigger variations chapter by chapter…”
Bornmueller shared.
New Shadows of a Changing World
The gameplay changes introduced in The Two Towers Trick-Taking Gameare as dynamic and dramatic as the story it portrays. Every element of the game is designed to reflect the themes, challenges, and character arcs of the second book of The Lord of the Rings™, adding layers of variety and strategy that weren’t present in the first game.
Tower Cards and Tokens
A significant addition is the introduction of two Tower cards; the White Tower and the Black Tower. These unique cards represent the looming power struggles at the heart of The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game. A Tower card trumps any other card in a trick, regardless of its rank. However, if both Tower cards appear in the same trick, their power cancels out, and neither wins.
Orc Cards
What is Middle-earth without Orcs? Orc cards bring an entirely new challenge to the trick-taking mechanics. These cards can only be played when a player cannot follow suit, and they can never win a trick. Worse yet, if a player is forced to lead with an Orc card, it immediately results in failure for that chapter. This introduces tension and high-risk decision-making, emulating the true threat that Orcs bring to the story.
Weariness Cards
As Frodo and Sam’s journey becomes graver in the second half of the game, Weariness cards come into play, reflecting the burden of The One Ring. When these cards appear in a trick, they force the leader to forfeit the lead, creating challenges that demand careful planning and further cooperation.
Iconic Art, Re-imagined
But it’s not just the gameplay that is evolving, The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game also features all-new illustrations by returning artist Elaine Ryan, distinguishing it from its predecessor while continuing to immerse players in Tolkien’s world.
“Intentional practice makes perfect repetition,” and what better way than drawing 40 cards, resting and reflecting, then starting off with all of the Orcs and really leaning into acting inside of the card art.” Ryan shared.
The four main suits from The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game return, including Hills, Mountains, Forests, and Shadow, while being reimagined to reflect themes from The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game. For example, the Hills cards now depict the Hills of Rohan rather than The Shire.
Our favorite characters have also had a refresh, helping to bring them to life and ground players in the game’s evolving narrative.
A New Adventure Awaits For All
Though The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game builds on the foundation of the first game, it was designed to stand on its own. Players don’t need to own or even have played The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game. Those who jump into the series here will find it easy to learn and just as captivating, though playing in chronological order offers an added narrative richness.
With its innovative mechanics, thematic storytelling, and gorgeous design, The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game is shaping up to be not merely a follow-up, but a bold new challenge that deepens and expands what made the first game so successful.
The journey through Middle-earth continues, and with a mixture of new and familiar challenges, players everywhere are invited to join, strategize, and overcome together.
Your friends at the table,
