Restoration Games and Space Cowboys are teaming up with Middle-earth Enterprises and Asmodee to bring a beloved board game back to game night with The Lord of the Rings: The King’s Gambit.
The new game reimagines The Queen’s Gambit in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Game design is led by Rob Daviau, co-founder of Restoration Games, with the game featuring multiple battlefields that recreate key moments from the epic fantasy saga.
Players will take part in battles across Middle-earth, including the Riders of Rohan facing Orcs on Pelennor Fields, Gondorians defending Minas Tirith, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas navigating the Great Port at Pelargir, and Frodo and Sam making their way through Mordor toward Mount Doom. The game is suitable for one to four players and takes about 90-150 minutes to complete.
Fans can join crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for a limited-edition deluxe version of The Lord of the Rings: The King’s Gambit ($199-449). The deluxe edition features upgraded components, including three-dimensional representations of Minas Tirith and Mordor that bookend the play area. The edition will only be available during the campaign, with a limited number of additional copies available after it concludes.
The Lord of the Rings: The King’s Gambit is designed around detailed figures, multiple fields of play, and a variety of strategic decisions, bringing the world of Middle-earth to a board game inspired by a classic from Restoration Games’ team.
Following the crowdfunding campaign, Space Cowboys will release a standard retail edition worldwide in 2027 through Asmodee’s global distribution network and international partners. The retail edition features the same art and gameplay as the deluxe version.
Fans can back the game online through Kickstarter.
