Restoration Games on The Lord of the Rings: The King’s Gambit

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Justin from Restoration Games to talk about their exciting new board game adaptation: The Lord of the Rings: The King’s Gambit. Currently funding on Kickstarter (with the campaign ending on October 20th, followed by a late pledge manager), this epic strategy game brings the climax of Tolkien’s masterpiece straight to your table.

Here is everything you need to know about the game, its design, and the different editions available!

From Star Wars to Middle-Earth: The Inception of the Game

The game traces its lineage back about 20 years to the original Star Wars: Queen’s Gambit board game, designed in part by Restoration Games co-founder Rob Davio. Because original copies of the Star Wars version have become highly sought-after “grail” collector items fetching hundreds of dollars on eBay, the team always dreamed of giving that beloved game engine a modern update.

When the opportunity arose to partner with Asmodee, Space Cowboys, and Middle-Earth Enterprises, the stars aligned to bring this mechanical masterpiece to the fields of Pelennor and the slopes of Mount Doom.

How to Play: An Epic 60-Second Overview

The King’s Gambit is a 1v1, 2v2, team, or solo experience where players manage four separate battlefields simultaneously:

Key Gameplay Mechanics:

Card-Driven Actions:

Players plan their round by placing four cards down in sequence from a hand of eight. Each card features two distinct action choices, allowing you to adapt on the fly when it’s your turn to flip.

Variable Resolution (“X”):

When playing a card, you decide how large of an action to take using resolve tokens (1 or 2), amplified further by collecting momentum from damaging heroes or defeating elite siege engines.

Asymmetric Win Conditions:

Both sides can claim victory through two different paths:

The Ring Fate: If Frodo and Sam reach Mount Doom safely, Free Peoples win. If their will drops to zero, the Shadow wins.

Military Victory: The Shadow wins if they breach the top level of Minas Tirith. Alternatively, Free Peoples win if they successfully wipe out the orc encampments on the Pelennor Fields to pull Sauron’s gaze away from the Ring-bearer.

Justin notes that while the game offers deep strategy for hobby gamers, it is also designed with swingy, cinematic dice rolls so that newcomers and casual Tolkien fans can jump in and have an epic experience.

Kickstarter Editions & Options

While a standard retail edition is planned for release next year (priced around 99 Euros), the Kickstarter and upcoming BackerKit late pledges feature exclusive deluxe versions:

Limited Edition: Features slightly larger boards and gorgeous, easily assembled 3D set pieces for Minas Tirith and Mordor positioned at the ends of the battlefield.

Playmat Add-on: A giant optional add-on mat covering the table with stunning Middle-Earth artwork.

Mithril Edition: The ultimate all-in-one package containing everything from the limited edition plus premium bells and whistles, including printed card racks, a light-up red glowing effect inside Mount Doom, custom dice trays, upgraded logo bags, and card sleeves.

Note: If you miss the initial October 20th Kickstarter closing date, late pledges will open in the BackerKit pledge manager a couple of weeks later.

Justin’s Top Pro-Tip for Players

When asked about his favorite strategy, Justin revealed a fun opening route for the Free Peoples:

“I tend to focus on getting Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas over as quickly as possible… If you use the ‘Three Hunters’ card and Aragorn’s special ability (representing the Dead Men of Dunharrow sweeping through to automatically wipe a squad of shadow forces), you can get a real good jump start on that battlefield.”

Head over to the Kickstarter page to check out the campaign before it wraps up, and stay tuned to Fellowship of Fans for future game night streams!

Kickstarter link again: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/restorationgames/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-kings-gambit/description

Watch our Full Interview