Summary
Despite its age,The Lord of the Ringsfranchise remains beloved by fans across the world, and over the years many video games inspired by Middle-earth have been released to varying degrees of success. On top of proper games, many dedicated fans have enjoyed making and playingLord of the Ringsmods for their favorite games.
The best games to featureLord of the Ringsmods are naturally those that share a medieval fantasy theme with Middle-earth, or alternatively, those in which the presence of Gandalf or Gollum would be hilarious.
Updated August 02, 2025 by Joe Grantham:With how popular Lord of the Rings is, it is unsurprising that many games both old and new have mods set in Middle-earth. Mods for the franchise are always in development, and even after release the mods continue to receive updates from their dedicated creators.
In fact, some popular moddable games such as Skyrim and The Sims 4 have multiple Lord of the Rings mods, ranging from small character and prop mods to huge total conversion mods. Some older games that aren’t as popular anymore can even be revived by great Lord of the Rings mods.
The worlds ofBaldur’s Gate 3andLord of the Ringshave a lot in common with Tolkien’s work being one of the many inspirations forDnD. As such, it makes sense for players to makeLotRmods forBG3, and while there are currently only a handful, players can surely expect more in years to come. One existing mod is Fellowship of the Ring, which uses anothergreatBG3mod, Party Limit Begone, to have all nine members of the fellowship in the player’s party. On top of all these iconic characters looking familiar, they also have suitable Guardians such as Bilbo to watch over the four hobbits.
Anduril and the One Ring is anotherLotRmod forBaldur’s Gate 3and instead of characters, it focuses on items. As the title suggests, the main highlights are Aragorn’s sword Anduril, which levels up with the player, and the One Ring, which fittingly grants the Invisibility spell and other stealth bonuses. Lastly, withBG3receiving official modding tools and support, there’s a possibility of more comprehensiveLotRmods in the future.
Elden Ringis another great fit forLotRmods and there are a few of note. The first is a mod that replaces Blaidd’s Set with Sauron’s armor, allowing players themselves to take on the role of The Lord of the Rings and The Elden Lord. The mod is simply known as Sauron (Lord of the Rings).
Another great option is Lord of the Rings - Weapon Pack, which adds eight iconic weapons from the series. From Gandalf’s staff and sword to Gimli’s axe, and even a Morgul blade, there should be something for everyone.
Civ of the Rings (LotR Mod): Civilizations is a mod that introduces eleven playable leaders fromLord of the RingsintoCiv 6. These include Aragorn for Gondor, Galadriel for the Silvan Elves, and Peregrin for the Hobbits, as well as more evil characters such as Sauron and Saruman for Mordor and Isengard, respectively.
Each leader has unique abilities and their own civilization, all of which come with their special units, districts, and other features.
TheTotal Warseries is perfect forLord of the Rings-inspiredmods, as the lore is fraught with long and brutal wars fought in a myriad of beautiful locations. The Dawnless Days mod forTotal War: Attilais one of the latest attempts to combine the two much-beloved franchises, and with moremodern graphicsthan other attempts, it is certainly the best-looking one so far.
The mod emphasizes the unique units and models that players can lead into war, and the developers are currently focused on the multiplayer and battle aspects of the game, with more work on a campaign to follow in the future.
Crusader Kings 2is one ofthe best grand strategy games of all time, and while it has been subsequently surpassed in quality by its successor, it does have the advantage of being free to play. This means that anyone with access to a decent PC or laptop can play a fantasticLord of the Ringsmod for free:CK2: Middle Earth Project.
Thanks toCK2’sstellar strategy gameplay, and engaging warfare mechanics, players will take part in some of the most epic battles ever seen in Middle-earth. Dozens of factions, races, and iconic characters are available for players to take control of and turn the chosen era into one of their own.
TheLegends of Middle Earthmod forAge of Mythologyclaims to be the biggest and most ambitious mod for the game and certainly delivers. The mod is a complete overhaul and brings the world ofLord of the Ringsto life with hundreds of new units, plenty of playable civilizations, new maps, and even its unique mechanics.
One of the most striking aspects of this mod is its beauty, which is particularly impressive seeing asAge of Mythologyis far from ranking amongthe best-looking games ever made.
The Sims 4andLord of the Ringsdon’t exactly go hand in hand, but that hasn’t stopped die-hard Tolkien fans from recreating aesthetics from Middle-earth in their favorite life simulation game.
From Evenstar necklaces and sweeping Elvish gowns that would easily fit in at Rivendell and in the Mirkwood to building pieces such as round Hobbit hole doors, there is plenty forLord of the Ringsfans to try out. For players with one ofthe bestThe Sims 4expansion packs,Discover University, there are even some unique Middle-earth-themed majors they can take with mods.
For Tolkien fans who want to get up close and personal with Orcs and experience what it would be like being a warrior in Middle-earth,The Last Days of the Third Agemod forMount and Blade: Warband, is an absolute must-try.
This classic modis still receiving updates and allows players to play out the War of the Ring, which is essentially the conflict of the main trilogy. However, this time, players themselves will be able to determine the outcome of the war, hopefully in favor of the faction they opt to play as. Fans of theMount and Bladeseries should also keep their eyes peeled for news ofKingdoms of Arda, an upcomingLotRmod forMount and Blade II: Bannerlord.
TheTotal Warseries has many great total conversion mods, including manyLord of the Ringsmods, chief among standsThird Age - Total War, a mod forMedieval 2: Total War. The mod not only features 14 unique factions such as Gondor and Isengard, all with their custom units but also many iconic locations where battles and sieges take place.
Players can either try and recreate their favorite scenes from the movies or instead play the extensive campaign, which will make them forget they are playing aTotal Warmod and not a realLord of the Ringsgame.
Minecraftplayers are known forcompletely recreating their favorite fictional worlds. It’s no surprise that Middle-earth has also been lovingly brought to life. By downloading thisLord of the Ringsmod forMinecraftplayers will be able to experience Tolkien’s world like never before with a fully open world map that is waiting to be explored.
Players will find dozens of beautifully recreated iconic locations from the books and movies, as well as more niche structures that only the most die-hard Tolkien fans will recognize. However, this mod is not just about exploration, as it also offers players the opportunity to engage with characters and quests, making it easily one of the best mods forMinecraft.
