Designed by Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi, co-authors of the award-winning War of the Ring board game and other thematic games set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth, and Gabriele Mari, author of Letters of Whitechapel, Mister X, and Garibaldi, Hunt for the Ring is hidden movement, deduction, and adventure game that recreates the initial chapters of The Lord of the Rings. Hunt for the Ring takes the players upon a new journey across Middle-earth, at the beginning of Tolkien’s trilogy, when Frodo and his hobbit friends leave the Shire to reach Rivendell, pursued by the Nazgul, the terrible Ringwraiths. The game is played in two parts, using two boards and many different components, with art by John Howe, miniatures by Bob Naismith, and game boards by Francesco Mattioli. In this interview, Francesco Nepitello tells us more about the game and its development. How did you start working on the “Hunt for the Ring”? It all started with a proposal from Roberto Di Meglio of Ares Games. He first had the idea of marrying a hidden movement game in the style of Letters from Whitechapel to our own War of the Ring. Marco Maggi and you have a great background in games set in the Lord of the Rings world, while Gabriele Mari is well-known for his hidden-movement games. Have you worked together previously? We’ve known Gabriele for a long while now, but never had the chance to work together. When I and Marco started working on the design of Hunt for the Ring we felt it was necessary to reach out to Gabriele. When you know someone who excels at something, why try to reinvent everything? Our first impression was soon confirmed: Gabriele and his team started immediately sending useful feedback and developing our initial concepts in exciting, unique ways. What have been the greatest challenges in the development of Hunt for the Ring? It’s challenging to make a hidden movement game that remains faithful to its simple, fundamental mechanics and to build around it a game that is also atmospheric and thematic. Add too much theme and you lose the thrill of hunting Frodo; take out too much flavor, and the game becomes an intellectual exercise. I think that after many months of development and testing we hit that perfect spot where everything feels just right. How many players can take part in the game and in which roles? Which characters are presented? One player plays Frodo and his friends and allies, as they endeavor to bring the One Ring to the sanctuary of Elrond in Rivendell, while one to four opposing players take on the roles of the Ringwraiths, sent by Sauron to reclaim his lost treasure. The game is divided in two parts, which play differently from one to another. How does the gameplay change in each of them? In Part 1, the Ringbearer player leads Frodo from his starting location to the town of Bree, and the Ringwraith players scour the Shire trying to gather information and to find the Hobbit. In Part 2, the Ringbearer player controls Gandalf, as the Wizard moves hidden, protecting Frodo, who moves automatically towards Rivendell. Part 1 is a tense duel of wits, with each player trying to outwit the opponent; Part 2 feels more like a frantic chase! What is the average length of a game? It differs based on the players — a full game can last up to 3-hours. The game includes materials and guidelines to play the two parts, separately, so players can store the game quickly after Part 1, to resume playing later, if they desire. What do you find most enjoyable in Hunt for the Ring?
I think that the right balance between theme and game mechanics makes this game a very immersive experience. Every Ringbearer player will feel the tension of seeing the Ringwraiths draw closer to Frodo, very much like in the iconic scene where one of the Nazgul crouches by the road as he senses the presence of the Ring! And, no Ringwraith player will escape the frustration of seeing Frodo escape from their clutches at the last moment, or the thrill of wielding the power of sorcery as they play a card to finally pinpoint the location of their prey.
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