This is an unusual board game in the sense that instead of playing against each other, the players (who take the role of the Hobbits from the books) work together to avoid Sauron to destroy the ring. It faithfully recreates the action of the books without making it seem that you are "locked in" to playing the game in only one manner. The players have real choices to make, and these choices do affect the outcome.

We've played this game in both a two-player and four-player mode, and it's very different in those variations. The two player game is a bit like solitaire, where the two players bond together to avoid the obstacles thrown at you by the game. In four player, the very number of players means that not everyone can make it to the end of the game, and thus, while not cutthroat, does invite a certain sacrifice among the players.

The rules are fairly simple to understand (although we did miss some basic points in our first couple of games), and not too long (you can learn to play this in a single evening without any problems). I would strongly recommend it to families with children who have become interested in the books through the movies.