Lord of the Rings Drinking Game

Pick a film set in Middle-earth – one of the Lord of the Rings trilogy or one of the Hobbit films – and agree on the rules before you press play. Take a small sip whenever one of the classic moments happens on screen. The list works with all six films.

Because the films are long, it’s worth splitting the rules up: everyone watches out for a few moments and calls them when they happen.

One sip when …

• someone stares at the Ring, turns it in their hand or touches it on its chain.
• the hobbits are eating or talking about food.
• the camera sweeps over mountains and landscapes in a long wide shot.
• the group walks single file along a ridge.
• Legolas pulls off an acrobatic stunt.
• a dwarf grumbles about elves – or the other way round.
• Gandalf turns up at exactly the right moment.
• someone speaks Elvish and subtitles appear.
• Gollum talks to himself.
• the Eye of Sauron is on screen.
• someone starts singing.

Two sips when …

• someone puts on the Ring and everything goes blurry.
• the Black Riders appear or shriek.
• a big battle begins.
• a council or meeting argues about what to do next.
• someone gets teary-eyed before a farewell.

Finish your glass (or three sips) when …

• reinforcements arrive at the last second and turn a battle around.
• the film seems to be over but there’s still another scene.

Variations

• The Fellowship: everyone picks a character and drinks whenever they fight, eat or get a big entrance.
• Light version: only the two-sip and finish-your-glass rules count. No drinking for landscape shots or Ring moments.
• Alcohol-free version: swap beer for apple spritzer, alcohol-free malt drinks or tea. The rules stay the same.
• Marathon: the three Ring films alone run to almost twelve hours in the extended editions, and with the Hobbit films it becomes a whole weekend. Play the full rules for one film at most and the rest with the light version.

Tips

Do it like the hobbits and plan several meals spread across the day – with a full stomach and plenty of water, a marathon is much easier to get through. Whether you start with The Hobbit or the trilogy is up to you: the Hobbit films are set earlier but came out later.