This is perhaps the finest creation yet from master inventor Reiner Knizia augmented by breathtaking art from Tolkien artist John Howe. The game plays on 5 boards with a huge array of cards, tiles, tokens and figures. It has one big difference from a conventional board game: it is cooperative ! Instead of trying to defeat other players, you collectively aim to beat the evil lord Sauron, who advances ever nearer every time you make an error or the fates give him the upper hand. Difficulty level 6/10. The game has been an international best seller in 16 languages with combined sales of over 800,000 copies. It won Spiel das Jahr first prize for Special Literature based game in 2000.