Info about The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth:

Official game description:
_The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth™_ is a cooperative game for one to five players. During a game, a group of heroes embarks on perilous adventures, working together to explore and survive the vast and epic fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien's _The Lord of the Rings™_. Throughout their journeys, heroes battle powerful foes, discover lost treasures, uncover forgotten lore, and customize their skills according to their role within their Fellowship. As darkness is rising, unifying evil, shadow, and corruption, it is the time for the heroes to take a stand and begin their journey in Middle-earth.  
To play _The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth™_, one player must download the free _Journeys in Middle-earth_ app on a compatible device. The app determines the challenges and content that the heroes encounter during the game, from tile and token placement to enemy behavior. The app also lets the heroes save their campaign, allowing them to complete it over the course of several gaming sessions.

Release date: Apr 18, 2019

Categories: Cooperative Multiplayer, Character Progression, Deckbuilding, Exploration, Tactical, Narrative Adventure

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 5; verdict: No issues reported; summary: The filtered user reviews do not contain any references to Linux, Proton, SteamOS, or Linux-specific compatibility issues. All feedback is about the app's function as a digital game master for the board game 'Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth.' Since no Linux-related problems are reported, the game is presumed to work well on Proton/Linux without friction.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: 18.0h
  - Session length: 1.5h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The story completion metric is directly supported by a review stating the campaign took about 18 hours. Session length is estimated from multiple sources: adventures typically 1-2 hours (average 1.5 hours), chapters 30-60 minutes (0.75-1 hour), and a review mentioning scenarios averaging 3 hours—the most typical session is around 1.5 hours. No clear evidence for total game completion or endgame playtime was found; thus those fields are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game offers immediate fun through its cooperative narrative and smooth gameplay, despite a learning curve and some mission design frustrations. Fun is present from the start, especially in co-op mode.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: First play session
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Learning curve can be steep; Cannot replay lost levels; Objective sometimes unclear; Threat progression changes main objective unexpectedly
  - Unlock drivers: Character progression system; Cooperative play; Smooth game performance; Narrative depth
  - Conditions: Best played with friends or family; Works well solo or in co-op; Enjoy tactical RPG and adventure elements; Appreciate Lord of the Rings theme
- Player Archetypes:
  - Solo-Cooperative Storyteller (buy)
    - Motivation: To enjoy a narrative-driven cooperative board game experience with flexible player counts, enabled by a smart app that handles AI and story.
    - Playstyle: Plays solo controlling multiple characters or cooperatively with friends, relying on the app for story progression and enemy AI, focusing on campaign exploration and tactics.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: co-op gamer; solo board gamer; app board game enthusiast; narrative gamer
    - Reference games: Descent: Journeys in the Dark (2nd Edition) with app; Star Wars: Imperial Assault with app; Gloomhaven
  - Tolkien Lore Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: To immerse themselves in the Lord of the Rings universe through an interactive board game that captures the movie and book vibes.
    - Playstyle: Prioritizes thematic story campaigns, may skip base content to get to lore-rich expansions like Shadow Path, and enjoys the atmospheric narrative.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Tolkien fan; Lord of the Rings enthusiast; epic campaign lover
    - Reference games: The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game; War of the Ring; Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
  - Miniature Painting Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: To obtain and paint high-quality Lord of the Rings miniatures as part of a board game experience.
    - Playstyle: Primarily engages with the game as a painting project, may also play but core enjoyment is from the miniature models.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: miniature painter; hobbyist; collector
    - Reference games: Warhammer 40,000; Age of Sigmar; Other Fantasy Flight Games with minis
  - Veteran Tabletop Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeks deep strategic gameplay and open-ended decision-making, which this game fails to provide sufficiently.
    - Playstyle: Likely prefers complex board games with heavy rules, multiple paths, and high replayability; may try this game but become dissatisfied.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: experienced player; hardcore tabletop fan; strategy gamer
    - Reference games: Gloomhaven; Mage Knight; Spirit Island; Twilight Imperium 4


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Great companion app integration (weight 0.58): Players love the companion app, which enhances the board game with setup, ambient music, automated enemies, and branching narratives, making the experience immersive and convenient.
- Highly replayable (weight 0.41): The game offers high replayability due to different events, random events, and varied missions, with each playthrough feeling distinct.
- Well-crafted and smooth app (weight 0.36): The companion app is praised for being well-crafted, attractive, solid, and running flawlessly, enhancing the overall board game experience.
- Excellent for Tolkien fans (weight 0.34): The game is highly praised by fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, being called a must-have for Lord of the Rings enthusiasts while also engaging for non-fans.
- Excellent solo play option (weight 0.3): The app enables a smooth solo play experience, acting as a game master and allowing the game to be played alone or with friends.
- Immersive Middle-earth experience (weight 0.29): Players appreciate the authentic and immersive Middle-earth atmosphere, with careful adaptation, narrative campaigns, and tough choices that capture the essence of Tolkien's world.
- One of the best board games (weight 0.26): Many reviewers consider this one of the best board games they have played, ranking it as a top experience in their collection.
- Fun and exciting gameplay (weight 0.22): The game is described as very fun, super exciting, and amazing, with core gameplay that is engaging and enjoyable.
- Cooperative gameplay (weight 0.21): The game supports cooperative play for 1-5 players, making it enjoyable to work together with friends or family.
- Stunning visuals and art (weight 0.2): The artwork and graphics are described as very pleasing, stunning, and beautiful, adding to the game's appeal.
- Innovative card-based mechanics (weight 0.2): The card system replaces dice, reducing randomness and providing more control, which players find original and deep.
- Supports 1-5 players (weight 0.17): The game can be played solo or with up to 5 players, with sessions lasting 60-120 minutes, offering flexibility for different group sizes.
- Good overall game with time commitment (weight 0.15): Reviewers consider it a good game overall, but note it requires sufficient time to play.
- Good for miniature painters (weight 0.12): The game includes miniatures that are perfect for painting, appealing to hobbyists.
- Narrative depth and accessibility (weight 0.12): Compared to Gloomhaven, this game offers good narrative depth and is more accessible, making it easier to pick up and enjoy.
- Variety of missions and events (weight 0.12): Each mission offers variety, and random events ensure the game stays interesting across multiple plays.
- Can save and resume later (weight 0.11): Players can save their progress and resume the game later, which is convenient for longer sessions.
- Hours of fun with family and friends (weight 0.11): The game provides many hours of enjoyment when played with family and friends.

Common complaints:
- No restart or undo option (weight 0.48): Players cannot restart a chapter mid-campaign, undo mistakes, or replay specific levels, making errors permanent.
- High overall cost (weight 0.44): The set price is high (e.g., 95 euros, 1000 PLN), and with expansions and DLCs it becomes very expensive.
- Misleading marketing as free (weight 0.36): The app is labeled as Free to Play but is actually a companion app requiring a physical purchase, misleading players.
- Steep learning curve (weight 0.31): The game is difficult for beginners due to complex mechanics, vague guidance, and a high entry threshold.
- App bugs and sync issues (weight 0.3): The app has bugs including enemies spawning off-map, event generation errors, save problems, and performance drops to 5 FPS.
- Translation and language issues (weight 0.29): Translations are poor, some languages are missing (e.g., Russian, Turkish), and there are errors in Portuguese.
- Unbalanced game mechanics (weight 0.23): Ranged weapons are better than melee, healing items are scarce in hard parts, and threat system encourages rushing.
- Impossible or unfair difficulty (weight 0.23): Some missions are nearly impossible without cheating, enemies respawn with more health, and damage cards are relentless.
- No campaign flexibility (weight 0.2): Players cannot change party composition, number of players, or save slots mid-campaign, limiting adaptability.
- App dependency drawbacks (weight 0.18): The mandatory app requires a device and software, lacks cloud saves, and may deter players who dislike digital integration.
- Poor UI and navigation (weight 0.18): The interface is confusing, navigation is unclear, and buttons are hard to see with large text.
- Lack of standalone missions (weight 0.15): There are no single-shot non-campaign missions, limiting replayability and variety outside the campaign.
- Long session time (weight 0.15): Scenarios take 2-3 hours to complete, requiring significant time commitment and focus.
- No quick reference for actions (weight 0.13): Players need quick reminders for actions like scouting or test agility, which are not provided in the app.
- High randomness in tests (weight 0.12): Tests and outcomes have high randomness, which can lead to frustrating and unfair scenarios.
- Large table space needed (weight 0.11): The game uses many components and requires a large playing area, which may be inconvenient for some players.
- Weak expansion mechanics (weight 0.1): Expansion mechanics are considered weak, and some classes feel limited without expansions.

Gameplay feedback:
- Companion app requires physical board game (weight 0.91): This is a companion app for the physical board game The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth. It acts as a game master and cannot function without owning the physical game.
- Cooperative board game with RPG elements (weight 0.6): The game is a cooperative board game that blends RPG mechanics like character progression, skill trees, and campaign stories with card-based actions and combat.
- App acts as game master and manages mechanics (weight 0.48): The companion app runs the game as a game master, managing scenario setup, enemy turns, inventory, and skill tracking, reducing the need for a human DM.
- Story-driven campaign with choices (weight 0.4): The experience is heavily narrative-focused with branching storylines and player choices that affect outcomes, enhancing immersion.
- Deck-building and card-based mechanics (weight 0.4): The game uses deck-building and card systems for actions, combat, and skill checks instead of traditional dice, offering strategic depth.
- Character and skill progression (weight 0.4): Players develop their characters across campaigns, gaining skills, gear, and abilities that carry over between sessions, with options for character classes and customization.
- Solo and multiplayer support (weight 0.32): The game supports solo play for 1 player and cooperative multiplayer for up to 5 players, making it flexible for different group sizes.
- High replayability and multiple difficulty levels (weight 0.31): The game offers multiple difficulty modes (Normal, Hard, Adventure) and ongoing expansions, ensuring long-term engagement for returning players.
- Multiple campaign scenarios and missions (weight 0.3): The game includes multiple scenarios (e.g., 7 initial, more via expansions) that form a connected campaign, with variable outcomes and progression that persists through losses.
- Comparison to other RPGs and board games (weight 0.28): Many reviews compare it to games like Gloomhaven and D&D, noting it offers a simplified, less tactical RPG-lite experience with less setup and rules.
- Grid-based movement and tactical elements (weight 0.27): Combat and exploration involve grid-based movement on tiles, with tactical decision-making, threat progression, and positioning of characters and enemies.
- Random map and event generation (weight 0.25): Maps, events, and encounters are procedurally generated, providing high replayability and varied experiences each playthrough.
- Features exploration, quests, and combat (weight 0.24): Core gameplay includes exploration of tiles, quest completion, combat encounters, and missions with varied objectives like detective work and strategic combat.
- Card-based action system replaces dice (weight 0.23): Instead of dice, an action deck serves as both action pool and randomness source, with card texts adding variety to outcomes, including skill checks and enemy skills.
- Save and resume functionality (weight 0.2): The app allows saving progress at any time, enabling players to pause and resume campaigns conveniently, a feature appreciated by reviewers.
- Immersive app integration with audiovisual quality (weight 0.2): The app provides high-quality sound effects, visuals, and an intuitive interface that enhances the physical board game experience, creating an immersive hybrid.
- Event cards and threat system add tension (weight 0.15): Event cards and a threat track create time pressure and dynamic events that vary per playthrough, keeping gameplay engaging and unpredictable.
- Set in The Lord of the Rings universe (weight 0.13): The game is set in the Lord of the Rings world, specifically Journeys in Middle-earth, appealing to fans of the franchise with exploration of iconic locations.
- Medium complexity suitable for ages 14+ (weight 0.11): The game is rated for ages 14 and up with medium complexity, making it accessible to both casual and experienced players without overwhelming rules.
- Supports remote play and Steam/Android integration (weight 0.1): The app is available on Steam and Android, enabling remote play and integration with digital platforms for group play.

Performance notes:
- Severe performance issues on MacBook (weight 0.07): Game drops to 5 FPS with input delays up to 10 seconds on MacBook Air; appears fixed in recent updates.
- General performance feedback noted (weight 0.05): One reviewer described the game as lightweight in terms of performance.

Recommendations:
- Great for Tolkien fans (weight 0.7): This game is highly recommended for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth and those who enjoy Lord of the Rings. Multiple reviews state it is a must-have for any Tolkien fan looking for their own Middle-earth adventure.
- Highly recommended overall (weight 0.56): Many users simply state the game is highly recommended or give a thumbs up. It is praised as a favorite board game and a worthy experience.
- Great for cooperative play (weight 0.42): The game is ideal for group play with friends and family, especially for those who enjoy cooperative board games or thematic evenings. It is recommended for solo play as well but better with company.
- Not recommended without physical product (weight 0.22): Several reviewers emphasize that the app is not worth downloading if you do not own the physical board game, as it is an essential companion piece.
- Best for fantasy story lovers (weight 0.22): The game provides a strong fantasy vibe and an engaging story, making it ideal for those who love immersive campaigns and thematic adventures in Middle-earth.
- Good for board game beginners (weight 0.2): The game is recommended for beginners in board games who want an accessible alternative to complex games like Gloomhaven. It simplifies roleplaying elements such as math and Dungeon Master duties.
- Not for quick or casual sessions (weight 0.12): Some reviewers note that the game is not suitable for those seeking quick play sessions or casual gaming. It requires time and commitment, and may not appeal to those who dislike high randomness.
- May lack depth for experienced players (weight 0.12): Hardcore tabletop fans or experienced board game players may find the gameplay too shallow or simplistic. The game is better suited for newcomers or those seeking a lighter experience.
- Mandatory app may deter some (weight 0.11): The use of a companion app is mandatory for the game, which may be a downside for players who dislike relying on digital tools or prefer unplugged board gaming.
- Good for solo and miniature enthusiasts (weight 0.1): The game is recommended for solo play and cooperative experiences, as well as for miniature painting enthusiasts who enjoy detailed figures.
- Use adventure mode with kids (weight 0.06): Adventure mode is suggested when playing with children, as it offers a more accessible and family-friendly experience.
- Ideal for RPG-lite experience (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for those seeking a role-playing game-lite experience that is not as complex as full tabletop RPGs.
- Not for those unfamiliar with Tolkien (weight 0.05): The game is not recommended for players unfamiliar with Middle-earth or board games, as the setting and mechanics may not appeal to them as much.
- Uluk tracking mission criticized (weight 0.05): One reviewer specifically does not recommend the game due to the Uluk tracking mission, indicating a particular quest or mechanic that detracts from the experience.
- Purchase all DLC and extras (weight 0.05): One enthusiastic review encourages purchasing all DLC, figurines, and box sets to fully enjoy the experience.

Other player notes:
- Requires physical board game (weight 0.07): The app cannot function as a standalone product; it requires the physical board game to be useful. This limits its accessibility and convenience for digital-only users.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.19): Players are satisfied with the app's convenience, including cross-device play, integration between Steam and Android, and the ability to save and resume game state. The app works smoothly, reduces mechanical inconveniences, and provides automatic enemy phases, enriching gameplay and immersion in Middle-earth.
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Frustration stems from app bugs, high randomness of tests, unclear controls, and missing features like an undo button for mistakes such as killing the wrong enemy. Performance issues like low FPS and input delay, along with a steep learning curve and lack of quick reference, contribute to negative experiences.
- Excitement (weight 0.12): Excitement is driven by the game's multiple campaigns with varying difficulty, enjoyable cooperative play, and high replayability. The Lord of the Rings theme, miniatures, and storytelling create an immersive adventure feel, allowing all players to participate without a dedicated game master.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players enjoy frequent play sessions with friends, deck-building, miniatures, and the app's intuitive integration. The game offers varied and epic scenarios with meaningful progress, providing immersive experiences and many hours of fun with family and friends.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment arises from weak expansion mechanics, low replayability, limited scenarios, and missing features like voice acting and undo options. Bugs in crucial missions, lack of syncing between devices, and missing language support also detract from the overall experience.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy comes from the immersive and complete experience, considered one of the best board games. Players find joy in succeeding after struggle, spending quality time with family, and playing as intended.
- Love (weight 0.03): Players love the game for its miniatures, the ability to play with a spouse, and immersion in Middle-earth. The save feature and balanced story development make it a favorite board game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is expressed for the atmospheric Middle-earth setting and seamless app integration. The well-crafted experience, great music, and flawless performance highlight its quality.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Players hope for continued digital content and future feature additions, such as community content creation and sharing. This reflects a desire for ongoing support and expansion of the app's capabilities.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation is high for upcoming expansions, language voiceovers, and adventure mode. Players look forward to more content, believing it will enhance the game.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger results from wasted time creating accounts and deceptive free listings. A rushed release with poor testing and neglected updates has provoked strong negative reactions.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.01): Dissatisfaction stems from specific missions like the Uluk tracking mission and a linear gear system lacking a market. These design choices limit player agency and flexibility.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is found in playing with friends, enjoying funny moments and slaying orcs. The game provides entertaining and enjoyable experiences.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness is derived from a fun game with good chapter length and a great first experience. The game is very fun and loved by everyone involved.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is directed at the atmosphere, mechanics, art, and narrative depth. The masterful board game with excellent digital support is seen as a deeply immersive combination.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement is sustained by meaningful choices and tension generated by the app. Long campaigns and expansions keep players involved and interested.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersion is achieved through a well-crafted adaptation and an atmospheric companion app that delivers an authentic Middle-earth experience, making players forget they are using an app.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm stems from the game being a favorite, with well-designed mechanics and support for solo and remote play. The Lord of the Rings theme and the app acting as Dungeon Master are highlights.
- Hopefulness (weight 0.01): Hopefulness arises from replayability, offering long-term enjoyment. Players want more people to discover and play the board game.
- Pleasure (weight 0.01): Pleasure is found in enjoying the narrative and multiplayer experience. The game provides satisfying moments of storytelling and cooperative play.}