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The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game is a co-operative card game that plays out over eighteen chapters that lead players through the events of the novel The Fellowship of the Ring. The chapte...
A tidy, approachable cooperative trick-taking game that hits a sweet spot for short sessions. The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game is easy to learn, has good components and clear iconography, and creates enjoyable silent teamwork through its mission-based chapters. It won’t satisfy players seeking deep strategic complexity or lots of table talk, but for fans of The Crew-style co-op puzzles and quick plays, it’s a solid, replayable pick.
The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game is a compact, cooperative card game designed by Bryan Bornmueller and published across multiple territories (Office Dog, Galápagos Jogos, Gameology, Geekach, Gém Klub and Rebel). It supports 1–4 players, runs roughly 20 minutes per chapter, and is aimed at ages 10+. We tried it with three players who were all new to the game; someone taught the rules, and we played in a quiet, focused setting after a longer session of another game. We had time for just two chapters and ended up winning both.
At its core this is a scenario-driven trick-taking title with communication limits built into the rules. Each chapter tells you which characters to take and what each character’s objective is. Then you play tricks together without openly revealing your cards. If every player completes their mission the chapter is won. The game sits squarely between light strategy and medium complexity: the rules are mostly clear, setup is fast, and the structure is intuitively chapter-based. Fans of cooperative logic trick-takers like The Crew will find familiar beats here, while players looking for heavier thematic or strategic depth might find it lighter than expected.
Setup is refreshingly quick — under five minutes for the first chapter, and slightly longer as you add cards and elements for later chapters. We played the basic, regular version and setup involved dealing characters and the initial card decks dictated by the chapter. The rulebook and iconography are very clear and accessible, which helped our all-new group pick things up fast when a player taught the game.
Component quality is good: cards feel sturdy and artwork is functional and thematic without being over-decorated. The chapter book (or scenario cards) clearly indicates which cards to add as chapters progress, so transitioning from one mission to the next is straightforward. We experienced no component issues. Overall production hits the level you expect for a short, portable card game: solid card stock, readable icons, and a tidy, minimal box. For groups that like to play short sessions between other games, the low setup overhead is a real plus.
Gameplay is a cooperative twist on classic trick-taking. Frodo starts the first trick (a small detail I appreciated), and players must follow suit when possible. What changes the feel is that you are not allowed to verbally reveal your cards. You must work together to allow each character to meet their mission: some chapters require certain players to win a number of tricks, others require losing or hitting particular suits. Because talking about your hand is restricted, communication becomes encoded through play choices. That creates an emergent language that gets better with repeated plays — we found ourselves learning subtle signals and conventions between rounds.
The mechanic mix is familiar but pleasant: trick-taking fundamentals (lead, follow suit, win trick) combined with mission-driven objectives and communication limits. Luck and skill feel balanced — hands will sometimes swing on the draw, but thoughtful play and attention to teammates’ hints consistently mattered. Downtime is minimal; the 20–30 minute game length keeps tension tight and decisions meaningful.
Theme is woven into the chapters and characters more than the core trick play. The designer leans on Lord of the Rings flavor in mission text, character roles, and scenario framing. As the player who taught the group pointed out, trick-taking itself has no intrinsic Middle-earth feel, but the chapter goals and character selection add enough narrative to make wins feel like small Fellowship victories. For players who enjoy cooperative puzzles with a light narrative hook, those missions give the game personality. For players who want deep thematic immersion from every card play, the fit is more functional than cinematic.
Compared to similar games, the vibes skew closest to The Crew because of the cooperative trick-taking and communication restrictions. It also shares a social-puzzle kinship with The Game and The Mind in how you coordinate quietly. Those who like cooperative nuance in compact sessions will find this a comfortable match.
After a single session of two chapters (both won), my impression is that this is an easy-to-learn, well-produced cooperative trick-taking experience that shines in short sittings. It’s not very deep, but that’s also part of its charm: quick chapters, clear goals, and the satisfaction of building nonverbal coordination with teammates. The chapter structure suggests decent replayability — the player estimated there are over 15 chapters — so you can expect at least a dozen interesting scenarios before things start to feel repetitive.
Who should play this? If you enjoy cooperative games, short play times, and the social puzzle of communicating without speech, you’ll probably get a lot of mileage out of it. It’s also a great filler or palate cleanser between longer games. Who should sit this one out? If you don’t like cooperative games, or you prefer games with lots of table talk and negotiation, the communication restrictions here will feel constraining. I personally am not a big coop fan, which tempered my enthusiasm; still, I would happily play more chapters with this group because the missions are satisfying and games end at a good length.
In short: a tidy, thematic-minded trick-taker that captures the Fellowship spirit through scenario design and cooperative puzzle play. It’s light, approachable, and enjoyable for a few sittings — especially if you relish building silent teamwork techniques over multiple plays.