The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly among the most influential fantasy works ever created, which is true of both J. R. R. Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy. Middle-earth stands as the definitive formula for high fantasy, combining deep world-building, thousands of years of history, and distinct languages and cultures with classic ingredients like recognizable races, dark forces, wizards, magic, and dragons.

Naturally, countless game developers continue to be inspired by these timeless masterpieces, especially in the RPG genre. For years, many have tried to create original worlds with depth comparable to Middle-earth, but very few have come close. Today, let’s take a look at some of the best RPGs ever made whose creators have openly discussed their Lord of the Rings inspirations. I’ll rank the games by how deeply Tolkien’s influence runs through each one.

Obviously, we won’t include games already set in Tolkien’s universe, like Middle-earth: Shadow of War or The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.

Final Fantasy 16 is often called the most “westernized” entry in the franchise, so it’s unsurprising that it drew on major works like Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings , aiming for a blend of grounded, mature, recognizable, and epic fantasy. You can feel traces of Tolkien throughout Clive Rosfield’s journey, but the biggest influence is the feel of the world. When asked about constructing Valisthea, producer Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P) cited LOTR’s role in the widespread association between medieval fantasy and Europe, explaining the team’s commitment to European aesthetics and presentation.

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