Playful Middle Earth

Role, board and card games around Tolkien’s work

Since Tolkien’s great success, his works have, of course, been realized in many different ways. And not only in radio plays and films, but also in all kinds of games. Some of them are included in the merchandise of other productions (films and musicals), some refer directly to the books. The games range from simple “children’s board games” and card games such as Mau-Mau to complex board games and collectible card games to (now 4) role-playing systems, tabletop games and complex conflict simulations.

The lecture Playful Middle Earth by Dr. Christian Weichmann at MagicCon 8 provides some information about what there was and is. And what is interesting and what is rather superfluous. One topic, which is left out for reasons of time, however, is computer games, of which there are, of course, some on Middle-earth.