Fantasy Flight Interactive has announced plans to produce a digital version of Fantasy Flight Games’ Living Card Game The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game on the Steam platform for PC next year as its first release.
The digital adaptation will use the same mechanics and cards as the tabletop version, with players forming teams of heroes and attempting to complete adventures set in the iconic fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. To play, players must construct a digital “deck” of cards depicting allies, events, and equipment cards that they can use during the game.
The initial release will only offer solitaire play and will launch as part of Steam’s Early Access program. Later in the year, the full free-to-play version will follow on Steam and will be expanded with support for cooperative two-player play.
This will be the first game from Fantasy Flight that does not require you to own/use the board game version, with the app. The new Lord of the Rings game will instead be a stand-alone experience that does not require or interact with the regular card game. In this way, Fantasy Flight is joining a growing trend in the industry for digital versions of popular hobby games.
Players in the digital implementation will still control three heroes with 30 card decks based on the four influence spheres – Leadership, Tactics, Spirit, and Lore.
The digital implementation of the game removes much of the maintenance work that players had to manage in the original version. In the new iteration of the game players focus on the Planning and Adventuring phases. The AI will handle playing cards from Sauron’s deck and the responsibilities enemies have in engaging heroes. Players will now get to focus on their own choices rather than game maintenance.
Each scenario includes instructions on win conditions, while all scenarios are lost if the three heroes die or the ever increasing threat level reaches the maximum.
You can wishlist the game on your steam now account HERE, After release players can purchase on the Founder’s Packs to access the full game experience. Founder’s Packs will include additional content, in game currency, and more.
This is will be the first release from the newly formed “Fantasy Flight Interactive“
So last week they release the ‘digital overlord’ version of Imperial Assault ( Star Wars: Imperial Assault – Legends of the Alliance) to play single player, or co-op using the app – through Steam, Google Play Store, Amazon Digital, and Apple AppStore. I just started using that, and it is wonderful.
Fantasy Flight is on a roll here!
Reading this, and watching the video. It looks like it is also coming to iOS, and Android as well as steam. I’d love to think they’ll offer cross-buy, so I don’t have to buy it on two platforms.
I’ve never played The LotR LCG but have heard nothing but good things, with a LOT of extra content.
I imagine their other projects and LCG’s will follow this digital path as well. Star Wars LCG, Android: Netrunner, and Game of Thrones LCG just to name 3 more card games. Asmodee has a LOT of stuff to draw from.