Mechanics
Even though The Lord of the Rings: Living Card Game is indeed a card game, it is much different from other games classified as such. There are no typical matches against other players such as these featured in Gwent. Instead, players participate in a story-driven campaign and try to lead three heroes through five elaborate tasks. One begins the game by selecting characters and assembling the deck using the available cards. Each hero is assigned to one of four categories: Knowledge, Spirit, Leadership, and Tactics – each one with different bonuses for the team. Thus it is crucial to make the right choice in building the deck and selecting the character.
After assembling the deck, the game picks a random scenario comprising a number of procedurally generated events and enemies, making each gameplay unique. During the missions, players engage in turn-based battles with the enemies by drawing cards that can summon creatures onto the battlefield, cast spells, etc.
Game modes
Unlike typical card games, The Lord of the Rings: Living Card Game does not offer a multiplayer PvP mode and focuses only on the single-player mode. Additionally, players can enjoy the cooperative mode.
Technical aspects
The Lord of the Rings: Living Card Game features visuals similar to other games representing the similar genre. Players get boards resembling locations known from The Lord of the Rings books such as Mirkwood and plains of Rohan. Moreover, the illustrations on the cards have been taken from the original tabletop game.
