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Game Info
Year
2013
Collection
Mechanic profile
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Description
In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Deck-Building Game, players take on the role of Frodo, Legolas, Aragorn, or one of their brave and heroic allies in the struggle against the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron! While you begin armed only with basic combat maneuvers, you'll add new, more powerful cards to your deck as you go, with the goal of defeating the deadly forces that serve Sauron as you make your way towards Mount Doom.
While The Two Towers can be combined with Cryptozoic's The Fellowship of the Ring Deck-Building Game, it's also playable on its own, and unlike that previous game, it includes a "Wall of Helm's Deep" deck that adds a new element to gameplay. If The Wall can't defend the wall from Saruman's forces and it becomes breached, the battle will get tougher for the heroes!
Cryptozoic's The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit deck-builder series:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Deck-Building Game
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Deck-Building Game
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Deck-Building Game Expansion Pack
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video L6MraLCdQBo
Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67685 · mention_pk 163866
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Great cooperative trick-taking system.
- Highly varied scenarios.
- More polished and varied experience than Fellowship.
- Good for players who love the original Fellowship and want more scenarios.
- Initial scenarios are straightforward enough for new players.
- Theme is well-integrated.
Cons
- Solo mode can be swingy and frustrating.
- If you own Fellowship and don't play it a ton, there's not much reason to get this.
- Still has some issues from Fellowship, particularly the solo mode's swinginess.
- More complicated than Fellowship, especially the one ring mechanics.
Thematic elements
- Following the story of the second novel in the Lord of the Rings series
- Middle-earth
Comparison games
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- For Northwood
- The Crew
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — Players have hands of cards with values and suits that are played during tricks.
- Character powers/restrictions — Each player character has a goal and potentially special powers or restrictions.
- Deck composition — The deck composition changes between the two parts of the game (Aragorn's path and Frodo's path).
- event cards — Special event cards that alter gameplay, like Tower events or Dead Marshes events.
- goal completion — Players must complete character-specific goals to win the scenario.
- Solo variant — A variant where one player controls multiple characters.
- Trick-taking — The core mechanic of the game where players play cards to win tricks.
- Trump cards — Special cards like the white and black tower cards can act as trumps and win tricks.
- Tucking cards — A mechanic where a card is placed face down under a character and can be retrieved later.
- two-player variant — A variant where a third player is controlled by the players.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The solo mode in this one, just because you have no idea which cards are coming later, can often be just an instant loss.
- For two-player on up, I love this system. Two Towers is great. Fellowship is great. It's right up there with the crew for my favorite cooperative uh tricktakers out there.
- I think Two Towers is maybe the more polished experience and definitely for my money the more varied experience...
- Great game though.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tPkrnFe3MAo
Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67647 · mention_pk 163830
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Standalone sequel to a favorite game
- Adds new elements to familiar mechanics
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- The events from The Fellowship of the Ring
Comparison games
- Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring trick taking game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Trick-taking — Mentioned as a core mechanic, with specific rules about how cards cancel each other out if played in the same trick.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers trick-taking game is a standalone sequel to one of my favorite games this year, Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring trick taking game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video i1KXTo27zfo
Review at 0:08 sentiment: positive
video_pk 67222 · mention_pk 163192
Click to watch at 0:08 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Thematically integrated trick-taking mechanics make sense.
- Cleverly introduces new concepts without overwhelming players.
- Artwork is visually appealing with a stained glass feel and book-accurate character designs.
- High replayability with 18 missions and an endless mode.
- Engaging two-player mode that simulates a three-player game.
- Stays true to the books, with many callbacks and Easter eggs for fans.
- Feels like a step up in difficulty from the previous game, Fellowship of the Ring.
Cons
- The book narrative might confuse players unfamiliar with the books.
Thematic elements
- The core thematic concept is following the narrative of The Two Towers book.
Comparison games
- The Fellowship of the Ring Lord of the Rings trick taking game
- The Crew
- Seven Wonders Duel
- Lord of the Rings Duel
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- chapter-based progression — The game is structured around chapters that follow the book's narrative, with players choosing characters relevant to that chapter and completing objectives to advance.
- character objectives — Each character has specific goals within the trick-taking game, such as taking a certain number of tricks or avoiding specific types of tricks.
- cooperative trick-taking — Players work together to achieve objectives within a trick-taking framework, with individual character objectives and overarching goals for each chapter.
- Tableau Building (in 2-player) — The two-player mode utilizes a tableau of cards that players draft from, similar to games like Seven Wonders Duel, where uncovered cards are accessible.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- But at the same time, I think that it's going to make you want to read the books.
- And yet thematically it made so much sense, which is just wild to me.
- The game does a really good job at stairstepping you and some of the new concepts, but gosh darn it, they're really sneaky.
- It was kind of brilliant actually with how they stairstepped you into these new concept and these weird ideas.
- I adored this game. I loved the direction they went with the artwork. I love that stained glass feel of that and how all the cards look like that.
- I'm completely enamored with this.
- Truly delightful.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UDOlnlkBm7o
Unknown Top 10 List at 1:39 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66190 · mention_pk 160881
Click to watch at 1:39 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- There is a chance to get these two exclusive pins which are also going to be so so hot.
- I got my one ring pin last year. Everybody wants to trade for it.
- I definitely want to get these two tower pins if I can.
- This is a huge thing.
- I'm really, really, really excited for this one.
- Sunday from 11 till 2, you'll be able to get your picture taken with Santa and you'll be able to see Holiday Hills.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video riFmwc3vYsE
kovray Top List at 17:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 31416 · mention_pk 151825
Click to watch at 17:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Thematic, puzzle-like trick-taking
- Two-player mode adds depth and replayability
Cons
- Can be complex for newcomers to trick-taking
Thematic elements
- fantasy adventure and strategy
- The Lord of the Rings, two towers arcs, middle-earth
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Trick-taking — Two-player trick-taking with thematic pyramids and sequence of story chapters
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- My number five is a game called Foxy.
- The way you score is so seamless.
- It's so cozy.
- I've really enjoyed the two-player mode.
- There are a ton of different ways to score in this game
- I cannot wait to dive into it
- I understand the hype.
- I will rank Birmingham high after playing more.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video H4FYD5XA0vU
The Dice Tower Playthrough at 0:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1127 · mention_pk 148348
Click to watch at 0:09 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong thematic integration with The Lord of the Rings, including character dynamics, flavorful card art, and narrative flavor
- Innovative tower mechanic creates meaningful tension and cooperation between players with shared and opposing goals
- Appealing for fans of social deduction and social negotiation within a light-to-moderate ruleset
Cons
- Rules are intricate and can produce edge cases that slow play or confuse first-time players
- Trading and upkeep options require careful tracking, which may slow down rounds for new players
- Reliance on players remembering and executing nuanced tower interactions can lead to mistakes
Thematic elements
- cooperative-competition under shared Tolkien-verse constraints; towers act as dynamic trump elements, and faction goals drive collaboration and tension
- Middle-earth during the events of The Two Towers, with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursuing orcs and navigating a fractured fellowship
- playful, meta-narrative within Tolkien’s world; players assume role-based goals and engage in social negotiation around card exchanges
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- exchange and hand management — Players may exchange cards at round start; goals depend on the cards in hand and the suits they need to collect; cooperation and balance are essential to meet combined objectives
- hand management — Players may exchange cards at round start; goals depend on the cards in hand and the suits they need to collect; cooperation and balance are essential to meet combined objectives
- orb/traitor-variant flavor — A traitor-like variant (bismerching) adds social dynamics around who is aligned with whom and how exchanges affect goals
- tower mechanic — White Tower holder (Aragorn) wins tricks under the normal trick rules; Black Tower holder teams with the White Tower holder and must coordinate to win a required total of tricks; towers can cancel or trump under certain conditions
- Traitor Game — A traitor-like variant (bismerching) adds social dynamics around who is aligned with whom and how exchanges affect goals
- Trick-taking — Four suits (Mountains, Forest, Hills, Shadow) numbered 1-8; two special tower cards (White Tower and Black Tower) can win a trick under certain constraints; Orc cards cannot win a trick unless specific conditions apply
- upkeep/tuck — Some characters can tuck a card under their character card at upkeep, removing it from immediate play and affecting follow-suit choices later
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is how you end a spectacular by coming together.
- Be careful: the beacons are lit—Gondor calls for aid.
- Riders of Rohan shall ride again.
- Remember thou art mortal.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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Showing 1–6 of 6