The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship

Designer: Matt Leacock

Publisher: Z-Man Games

People are really into Lord of the Rings lately. It’s usually either a resurgence in popularity or an expansion of existing licensing agreements, and this time it seems to be a little bit of both. No judgment! Just an observation. If you’re into Lord of the Rings, that’s essentially a Golden Age for you. If you’re just friends with someone who’s into Lord of the Rings, well, you have our sympathies. Either way, two well-loved tastes combine in this spin-off of the Pandemic system for Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship! Once Matt Leacock got his head around how to spin off the Pandemic system, that also exploded. Nobody seems particularly mad about it, though. Here, your goal is pretty simple: destroy the One Ring. Usually, at least: there are plenty of other objectives you can do along the way. Fans of either franchise will notice a lot of similar elements here, but the marriage of the two seems to have created a compelling and unique experience.

Strategy Games, as a genre and category, thrive in giving players interesting decisions on a time budget: you won’t spend all day playing but you’ll still have something interesting to do. The Committee feels that The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship meets that high bar on its own and provides a replayable and engaging experience even for gamers outside of Middle-earth’s orbit. Balancing the need to take strongholds and fight off the forces of darkness against the actual completion of your objectives and the scenarios is no small feat, and even if you fail, there’s an incentive to get back up and try again with a new story. That pull towards playing another game is what helps turn a good game into a great one, and we’re excited to name The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship 2026’s Strategy Games Winner.

What Our Committee Is Saying

Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship takes the tried-and-true Pandemic cooperative game play and creates a Middle-earth experience that’s second to none. Fate of the Fellowship introduces new gameplay and raises the difficulty level for veteran Pandemic players. This is not a mere rehash of the Pandemic system, but a true next step forward as you battle your way through Middle-earth.

Ruel Gaviola

Photos courtesy of Jonathan H. Liu. All rights reserved.