Fantasy Flight's Lord of the Rings Living Card Game Enters Early Access

Fantasy Flight Interactive's The Lord of the Rings Living Card Game is now available on Steam. Founder's Packs can be purchased in a variety of different packages, ranging in price from $7.99 to $47.99, with a free-to-play option coming after the game exits early access.

When will that be? According to the original announcement of the game back in December and the current information on the Steam page, it will be in early access for three to five months. In the meantime, you'll have to (prancing) pony up some cash if you want to get into the game and try out its five quests. When the full game launches, it will offer co-op play for two players and a quest in a new "Shadows of Mirkwood" campaign.

One thing to remember about this LCG, and how it differs from a CCG/TCG, is that card packs/sets are non-random, so you'll know what you're buying every time. Maybe that won't provide as big a monetary return for Fantasy Flight and publisher Asmodee Digital, but it will at least help them avoid any legal issues regarding loot boxes!