The other day, I picked up a copy of the Lord of the Rings card game. It’s a co-op LCG, where you run a trio or sextet of heroes through a series of encounters on their way through the events of various sections of the LoTR mythology. The starter box comes with Through the Mirkwood, where you face off against the giant spiders, and two other scenarios. I’ve done about half a game of through the Mirkwood, attempting to get a feel for the game. So far, I really like it.

I picked this up after listening to the Low Player count podcast. It was the favorite game of two of the three hosts. I’d also watched through some Watch it Played, to get a feel for the mechanics. They’re similar enough to the mechanics to Magic to be familiar, but also unique enough to be interesting.

On a whim, I also bought a copy for pair of old friends who I never spend time with these days, as they tend to be busy raising their daughter. I figured since they both enjoy LoTR and this is a good co-op, they might enjoy playing it together. They just picked it up from the Post Office last night, and I’m curious to hear their first impressions.

Amusingly, while I initially bought it on a whim, I found out the next day that it was her birthday. While I rarely actually send people birthday gifts, as I have a strange policy regarding birthdays, this case of synchronicity worked out nicely.

I suspect this will become a series of short articles regarding my thoughts on the LoTR LCG and on the whole solo/single co-op aspect of board games. I’ve got a few I’ve picked up over the years that are supposedly playable as single co-op, and as I rarely have much social gaming time, it might be nice to enjoy the mechanics on my own.

Purchased at Starlit Citadel