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The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™ similar games & best alternatives

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™

PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 • 2024

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Quick resume

The only survival crafting game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth™. Embark on an epic journey to reclaim the Dwarven homeland of Moria, and explore, craft, and build in procedurally generated worlds. Play as a solo adventurer, or join friends in co-op gameplay for up to 8 players.

Global score

82/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)

Similar games

    Pros

    • Immersive tolkien setting and lore
    • Cooperative multiplayer enhances experience
    • Engaging crafting and building systems
    • Atmospheric music and singing
    • Steady progression and exploration

    Cons

    • Combat can feel clunky and shallow
    • Building mechanics have limitations and snapping issues
    • Some repetitiveness and linearity in campaign
    • Performance issues on lower-end systems reported
    • Lack of deep npc interaction or advanced ai

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      3

      "Players have freedom to build and optimize train routes and production chains within scenario constraints; sandbox mode allows even more personal control."

      Capsule for RAILGRADE RAILGRADE

      "Players have freedom to explore, build, and craft within constraints; some linear progression but sandbox mode allows more personal control."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      3

      "Combat is described as accessible yet tactically deep, with challenge scaling and meaningful skill use, rewarding player effectiveness."

      Capsule for Wildermyth Wildermyth

      "Players engage in skill-based combat, crafting, and exploration with progression and feedback; combat is serviceable but not deep."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -4

      "Focus is on cooperative or solo play without competitive modes or leaderboards; emphasis on personal or group progression."

      Capsule for Quest Hunter Quest Hunter

      "Focus is on cooperative and solo play without ranked modes or leaderboards; emphasis on personal or group progression."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      4

      "Many players report long playtimes and habitual engagement with ongoing updates and content."

      Capsule for Swords 'n Magic and Stuff Swords 'n Magic and Stuff

      "Many players report long playtimes, habitual play, and continued engagement through updates and multiplayer."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      4

      "Supports up to 8-player co-op with shared quests and multiplayer gameplay, though buggy and sometimes unstable."

      Capsule for Dungeon Lords Steam Edition Dungeon Lords Steam Edition

      "Game supports up to 8-player co-op; multiplayer enhances experience and is recommended for best enjoyment."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      3

      "Building system allows for base construction and customization, though some reviews note limited uniqueness."

      Capsule for ARK: Survival Evolved ARK: Survival Evolved

      "Building and crafting systems allow customization and base creation, though some constraints and snapping limitations exist."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -3

      "Interactions emphasize cooperation and shared goals; no evidence of power imposition or dominance over others."

      Capsule for The Survivalists The Survivalists

      "Interactions emphasize cooperation and shared goals; no evidence of power imposition or dominance behaviors."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Players use the game as a deep immersive experience, escaping into a fantasy world with rich lore and challenging gameplay."

      Capsule for Touhou Artificial Dream in Arcadia Touhou Artificial Dream in Arcadia

      "Players use the game to immerse in Tolkien lore and escape into a fantasy underground world with mining and adventure."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest and fandom; no indication of obligation or external pressure."

      Capsule for Hogwarts Legacy Hogwarts Legacy

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest and fandom; no indication of obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players explore new areas, try different skill builds, and experiment with crafting and combat strategies."

      Capsule for Primal Planet Primal Planet

      "Players explore new areas, try different crafting recipes, and experiment with building and combat strategies."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      4

      "Exploration of new areas, uncovering map, and discovering resources are core gameplay elements."

      Capsule for Mist Legacy Mist Legacy

      "Exploration of procedurally generated and handcrafted areas is a core element; discovery and lore hunting are emphasized."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      3

      "Character customization and base decoration allow personal expression, though base building is optional and less emphasized."

      Capsule for Wizard with a Gun Wizard with a Gun

      "Character customization and base decoration allow self-expression; some limitations in building placement noted."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      5

      "Strong fantasy setting with dwarves, goblins, magic, and mythical lore."

      Capsule for Regions Of Ruin Regions Of Ruin

      "Strong Tolkien fantasy setting with dwarves, lore, singing, and mythical creatures; immersive fictional experience."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      4

      "Community and social play are important, with multiplayer and co-op fostering group identity and shared experiences."

      Capsule for Castle Crashers® Castle Crashers®

      "Community and group identity are important; multiplayer play fosters social bonds and shared experiences."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      3

      "Players learn survival skills, crafting recipes, and navigation through gameplay progression."

      Capsule for Subnautica: Below Zero Subnautica: Below Zero

      "Players learn crafting, combat, and exploration skills; progression through unlocking recipes and areas."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "Typical sedentary gameplay; no physical activity or health-related features."

      Capsule for Soulstone Survivors Soulstone Survivors

      "Typical sedentary gameplay; no physical activity or health-related features."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires sustained attention and focus during combat and exploration; not designed for passive or background play."

      Capsule for Days Gone Days Gone

      "Requires sustained attention during exploration, combat, and crafting; not designed for passive or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      2

      "Some social interaction and camaraderie in multiplayer, but limited close emotional relationships."

      Capsule for CURE - A Hospital Simulator CURE - A Hospital Simulator

      "Some social interaction and camaraderie in multiplayer; no evidence of deep emotional or intimate connections."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -2

      "Players collaborate without formal leadership roles; cooperative play is balanced and shared."

      Capsule for Super Motherload Super Motherload

      "Players collaborate without strong leadership roles; cooperative play emphasizes shared decision-making."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Clear progression through crafting, tech tree, and unlocking items; players accumulate resources and upgrades."

      Capsule for Wrongworld Wrongworld

      "Clear item and gear progression through crafting and unlocking new areas; players accumulate resources and upgrades."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      3

      "Atmospheric and immersive experience provides a sense of flow and relaxation despite some tension in combat."

      Capsule for Gemini Rue Gemini Rue

      "Atmospheric and immersive experience with moments of calm and flow; some tension from combat and survival elements."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      3

      "Artistic visuals, music, and sound effects provide sensory enjoyment and atmospheric immersion."

      Capsule for Shadowgate Shadowgate

      "Enjoyable visuals, music, and sound design enhance sensory experience; some players note atmospheric immersion."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -3

      "No social status or recognition systems; focus is on individual achievement without public ranking."

      Capsule for Recipe for Disaster Recipe for Disaster

      "No competitive ranking or social status systems; focus is on personal and group achievement without public recognition."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      3

      "Campaign offers narrative immersion with characters and lore, though some find it short and linear."

      Capsule for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

      "Narrative campaign with Tolkien lore and character interactions; story complements gameplay but is somewhat linear."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      2

      "Some strategic planning in resource management and combat, but combat is simple and crafting straightforward."

      Capsule for Wrongworld Wrongworld

      "Some tactical combat and resource management; overall systems are straightforward but require planning."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      2

      "Combat and exploration provide moments of suspense and challenge."

      Capsule for Devil Spire Falls Devil Spire Falls

      "Combat and exploration provide moments of suspense and challenge; not highly intense but engaging."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      4

      "Players feel the game offers good value for price given content and frequent updates."

      Capsule for SurrounDead SurrounDead

      "Players feel the game offers good value especially at discounted prices; content and updates add to worth."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      2

      "Combat against enemies is central, but presented abstractly and without graphic violence."

      Capsule for Outhold Outhold

      "Combat against enemies is present but not graphic or central; violence is moderate and balanced with crafting."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      3

      "Survival mechanics like hunger, thirst, temperature, and defending territory from threats are core gameplay elements."

      Capsule for Anarchy: Wolf's law Anarchy: Wolf's law

      "Survival mechanics like hunger, stamina, and resource management are part of gameplay; moderate threat level."

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Relaxation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Competition, Leadership.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 30/04/2026