Despite its age, The Lord of the Rings franchise 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 playing Lord of the Rings mods for their favorite games.

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The best games to feature Lord of the Rings mods 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 March 13, 2024 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.

1 A Few Great Mods & More To Come

Baldur's Gate 3

• Link to Fellowship of the Ring - by nexus1118
• Link to Anduril and The One Ring from The Lord of the Rings movies (reforged) - FullGameReady - by KiderionLykon

The worlds of Baldur's Gate 3 and Lord of the Rings have a lot in common with Tolkien's work being one of the many inspirations for DnD. As such, it makes sense for players to make LotR mods for BG3, 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 another great BG3 mod, 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 another LotR mod for Baldur's Gate 3 and 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.

2 Many Great Mods

Elden Ring

• Link to Sauron (Lord of the Rings) - by MrMorritos3D
• Link to Lord of the Rings - Weapon's Pack - by externethd

Elden Ring is another great fit for LotR mods 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.

3 Civ Of The Rings (LotR Mod): Civilizations

Civilization 6

• Link to Civ of the Rings (LotR Mod): Civilizations - by Aldollin

Civ of the Rings (LotR Mod): Civilizations is a mod that introduces eleven playable leaders from Lord of the Rings into Civ 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.

4 The Dawnless Days

Total War: Attila

• Link to The Dawnless Days by The Dawnless Days Development Team

The Total War series is perfect for Lord of the Rings-inspired mods, as the lore is fraught with long and brutal wars fought in a myriad of beautiful locations. The Dawnless Days mod for Total War: Attila is one of the latest attempts to combine the two much-beloved franchises, and with more modern graphics than other attempts, it is certainly the best-looking one so far.

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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.

5 CK2: Middle Earth Project

Crusader Kings 2

• Link to CK2: Middle Earth Project by CK2: MEP Team

Crusader Kings 2 is one of the 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 fantastic Lord of the Rings mod for free: CK2: Middle Earth Project.

Thanks to CK2's stellar 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.

6 Legends Of Middle Earth

Age Of Mythology

• Link to Legends of Middle Earth by Venlesh

The Legends of Middle Earth mod for Age of Mythology claims to be the biggest and most ambitious mod for the game and certainly delivers. The mod is a complete overhaul and brings the world of Lord of the Rings to 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 as Age of Mythology is far from ranking among the best-looking games ever made.

7 Many Great Mods And Custom Content (CC)

The Sims 4

• Link to Hobbit Hole Round Doors and Windows by Jwoods
• Link to Elven Bedroom Set by Lethe_s

The Sims 4 and Lord of the Rings don'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.

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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 for Lord of the Rings fans to try out. For players with one of the best The Sims 4 expansion packs, Discover University, there are even some unique Middle-earth-themed majors they can take with mods.

8 Last Days Of The Third Age

Mount And Blade: Warband

• Link to Last Days of the Third Age by Swyter

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 Age mod for Mount and Blade: Warband, is an absolute must-try.

This classic mod is 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.

9 Third Age Total War

Medieval 2: Total War

• Link to Third Age -Total War by TW_King_Kong

The Total War series has many great total conversion mods, including many Lord of the Rings mods, chief among stands Third Age - Total War, a mod for Medieval 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.

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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 a Total War mod and not a real Lord of the Rings game.

10 Middle-Earth

Minecraft

• Link to Middle-Earth by PakPacman

Minecraft players are known for completely recreating their favorite fictional worlds. It's no surprise that Middle-earth has also been lovingly brought to life. By downloading this Lord of the Rings mod for Minecraft players 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 for Minecraft​​.

11 Many Great Mods

Skyrim

• Link to The Shire SE by TheBawb
• Link to The Elder Scrolls V MIDDLE-EARTH Redone SSE by Maldaran

Seeing as Skyrim is known for its incredible modding community and takes place in a world that shares many similarities with J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, it is only natural that there are many great Lord of the Rings mods for Skyrim.

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From simple mods that add armor sets, weapons, wizard hats, and even the One Ring, to larger mods that recreate iconic locations and add Uruk-hai enemies, there are many ways to turn Skyrim into a Lord of the Rings game. With the right combinations of mods, players will feel like they are truly exploring Middle-earth.

12 LotR: Realms In Exile

Crusader Kings 3

• Link to LotR: Realms in Exile by MattTheLegoman

Crusader Kings 3 is a game that is known for its many fantastic total conversion mods, which often replace the medieval world of CK3 with beloved fantasy worlds such as Westeros. One of the best such examples is LotR: Realms in Exile, which currently allows players to rule realms such as Arnor and Gondor, among others.

The beautifully sculpted map is complete with unique models for iconic locations such as Minas Tirith, and players can take on the role of famous humans, elves, or even a wizard such as Saruman the White. Beyond more familiar names are a wealth of characters and details painstakingly taken from the lore of J.R.R. Tolkien's work. Work continues to take place on this mod, meaning each year players have more content and flavor to look forward to.

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