# Fantasy Survival Crafting Games 'Return to Moria' is a Survival Game Based on Lord of the Rings By Colin Smith | Published 2023-04-28 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/return-to-moria References: [store.epicgames](https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-lord-of-the-rings-return-to-moria-f01344) Free Range [Games'](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/demeo-x-dungeons-dragons-battlemarked) upcoming title 'The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria' is set to release in Q2 of 2023. The game takes place in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, a fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien and featured in numerous forms of media from novels and short stories to games and movies. The Return to Moria game follows Dwarves, one of the main races in the world of Middle-earth, through their adventure to rebuild their home in Moria. The process of rebuilding is where the core gameplay comes in, as they will need to work together in groups to harvest materials, craft architecture, find rare loot, and keep themselves alive through the dangerous caves and mines in Moria. The game is set to release on PC via the [Epic Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/returnal-pc) platform, and on major consoles. Image Credit: Free Range Games ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 7.0/10 - Popularity: 96% | Activity: 100% | Freshness: 15% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Fantasy Survival Crafting Games:** The rise in popularity of survival crafting games set in fantastical worlds provides opportunities for developers to create new IPs and capitalize on established ones. - **Lord of the Rings Gaming:** The continued interest in the Lord of the Rings universe for gaming presents opportunities for new and innovative adaptations as well as new entry points for fans of the franchise. - **Cooperative Crafting Gameplay:** Games that emphasize cooperative crafting gameplay offer opportunities for gamers to engage socially and can foster communities around the game's mechanics. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Video Games:** The video game industry can benefit from the increased interest in survival crafting games and the Lord of the Rings franchise by developing new games or enhancing existing ones. - **Fantasy Entertainment:** The fantasy entertainment industry, including books, movies, and TV shows, can incorporate gaming franchises like Lord of the Rings to increase engagement with audiences and offer new entry points to their existing properties. - **Social Networking:** The popularity of cooperative crafting games offers opportunities for social networking services to create communities around these games and offer new tools and services for players to connect and collaborate. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Fantasy World-Inspired Mobile Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heroes-of-middle-earth.md) - [Comforting Fantasy Builder Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tales-of-the-shire.md) - [Iconic Fantasy MMOs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lord-of-the-rings-mmo.md) - [Open-World Survival Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/runescape-dragonwilds.md) - [Cozy Village Sim Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tales-of-the-shire-game.md) - [Horde Survival Mining Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/deep-rock-galactic-survivor.md) - [Cataclysmic Roguelite Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wartorn.md) - [Tactical Role-Playing Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solasta-ii.md) - [Immersive Survival RPGs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/greedfall-2-the-dying-world.md)