Lord of the Rings / Similar games

18 games like Lord of the Rings

The best games like Lord of the Rings are Keyflower, Cyclades and Clash of Cultures — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. Keyflower shares economic, auction/bidding, auction: fixed placement with Lord of the Rings.

Every alternative below links to its own Lord of the Rings-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s ancient / economic shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of Lord of the Rings’s 3.0 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

As an Amazon Associate, MeeplePick earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

1. 

   1. Keyflower (2012)

   2–6 players · 90–120 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium · See Keyflower alternatives →

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Auction/Bidding, Auction: Fixed Placement, Constrained Bidding · 4 shared tags · 3 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (75%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · scales to 6 · ~15 min longer · +0.3 heavier

   Check price for Keyflower →
2. 

   2. Cyclades (2009)

   2–5 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium · See Cyclades alternatives →

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Ancient, Area Majority / Influence, Auction/Bidding, Auction: Fixed Placement · 4 shared tags · 3 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (75%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · ~15 min shorter · 0.2 lighter

   Check price for Cyclades →
3. 

   3. Clash of Cultures (2012)

   2–4 players · 180–240 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium-heavy · See Clash of Cultures alternatives →

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Ancient, Economic, Area Majority / Influence · 3 shared tags · 1 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (25%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · ~120 min longer · +0.6 heavier

   Check price for Clash of Cultures →
4. 

   4. Pan Am (2020)

   2–4 players · 60 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium-light

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Auction/Bidding, Auction: Fixed Placement, Constrained Bidding · 4 shared tags · 3 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (75%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · ~30 min shorter · 0.5 lighter
5. 

   5. Civilization (1980)

   2–7 players · 360 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium-heavy · See Civilization alternatives →

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Ancient, Economic, Area Majority / Influence · 3 shared tags · 1 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (25%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · scales to 7 · ~270 min longer · +0.6 heavier
6. 

   6. Homesteaders (2009)

   2–4 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium · See Homesteaders alternatives →

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Auction/Bidding, Auction: Fixed Placement, Constrained Bidding · 4 shared tags · 3 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (75%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–4 players · goes down to 2 · ~15 min shorter · same complexity
7. 

   7. Shogun (2006)

   3–5 players · 90–120 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium · See Shogun alternatives →

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Area Majority / Influence, Auction/Bidding · 3 shared tags · 2 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (50%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · ~15 min longer · +0.3 heavier
8. 

   8. Scythe (2016)

   1–5 players · 90–115 min · ★ 8.2 · Medium · See Scythe alternatives →

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Area Majority / Influence · 2 shared tags · 1 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (25%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · plays solo · ~13 min longer · +0.4 heavier
9. 

   9. Polis Fight for the Hegemony (2012)

   2 players · 90–120 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium-heavy

   Shares with Lord of the Rings: Ancient, Economic, Area Majority / Influence · 3 shared tags · 1 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (25%)

   vs Lord of the Rings: no player-count overlap (2 vs 3–5) · goes down to 2 · ~15 min longer · +0.6 heavier
10. 

    10. Bruxelles 1893 (2013)

    2–5 players · 50–125 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium-heavy · See Bruxelles 1893 alternatives →

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Area Majority / Influence, Auction/Bidding · 3 shared tags · 2 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (50%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · about the same length · +0.5 heavier
11. 

    11. The Godfather Corleone's Empire (2017)

    2–5 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium · See The Godfather Corleone's Empire alternatives →

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Area Majority / Influence, Auction/Bidding · 3 shared tags · 2 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (50%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · ~15 min shorter · 0.4 lighter
12. 

    12. Archipelago (2012)

    2–5 players · 30–240 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-heavy · See Archipelago alternatives →

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Area Majority / Influence, Auction/Bidding · 3 shared tags · 2 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (50%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · ~45 min longer · +0.7 heavier
13. 

    13. Amun-Re The Card Game (2017)

    2–5 players · 45 min · ★ 6.8 · Medium-light

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Ancient, Economic, Auction/Bidding, Constrained Bidding · 4 shared tags · 2 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (50%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · ~45 min shorter · 0.6 lighter
14. 

    14. The Estates (2018)

    2–5 players · 40–60 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium-light

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Area Majority / Influence, Auction/Bidding · 3 shared tags · 2 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (50%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · ~40 min shorter · 0.7 lighter
15. 

    15. Vegas Showdown (2005)

    3–5 players · 75 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium-light · See Vegas Showdown alternatives →

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Auction/Bidding, Auction: Fixed Placement · 3 shared tags · 2 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (50%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · ~15 min shorter · 0.7 lighter
16. 

    16. Power Grid (Recharged Version) (2004)

    2–6 players · 120 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium · See Power Grid (Recharged Version) alternatives →

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Auction/Bidding · 2 shared tags · 1 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (25%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · goes down to 2 · scales to 6 · ~30 min longer · +0.2 heavier
17. 

    17. Mare Nostrum (2003)

    3–5 players · 120 min · ★ 6.7 · Medium · See Mare Nostrum alternatives →

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Ancient, Economic, Area Majority / Influence · 3 shared tags · 1 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (25%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · ~30 min longer · same complexity
18. 

    18. Princes of the Renaissance (2003)

    3–6 players · 180 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-heavy

    Shares with Lord of the Rings: Economic, Area Majority / Influence, Auction/Bidding · 3 shared tags · 2 of Lord of the Rings’s 4 mechanics (50%)

    vs Lord of the Rings: overlaps at 3–5 players · scales to 6 · ~90 min longer · +0.5 heavier

Looking for the original? See the full Lord of the Rings fact page — players, play time, age and complexity.