As it turns out, birds of a feather don't always flock together.
After all, Lea Thompson doesn't believe her daughter Zoey Deutch will ever make an appearance on Anna Pigeon, the USA Network show...
Moonlighter is a hybrid of management sim and roguelite dungeon crawl in the vein of Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale. I was more intrigued by its shopkeeping side—where you put your loot on display and hope the locals in your hamlet are in the mood for a magic sword or some banged-up armor—than I was by its dungeon runs and boss battles, but your mileage may vary.
That mileage is currently good value, because right now you can add Moonlighter to your Steam account for free. Digital Sun and 11 Bit Studios have set it to zero dollars until August 9 to celebrate the upcoming release of Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, which is currently in early access but will be hitting 1.0 on September 2.
Moonlighter 2 adds more Hades to the formula, as Sam Desatoff noted in our preview, writing, "It’s impossible not to see the touch of Hades in Moonlighter 2's combat (it's isometric now!), or in the way Will gets to know the characters loitering around town. The hub area of Tresna could be a respectable stand-in for the House of Hades or The Crossroads, and I enjoyed familiarizing myself with the town and its residents."
Moonlighter 2 also shifts away from the first game's Binding of Isaac-esque dungeon exploration for more of the FTL/Slay the Spire-influenced node-choosing that's all the rage. But it's still embedded in a town full of locals to befriend, to throw some Stardew Valley into the blend. If it's the sequel you're more interested in, you can download a demo from Moonlighter 2's Steam page.
There’s a new Halo game out in the wild. Well, okay, fine, there’s an old Halo game out — again. Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved, is a modern-day reminder that the original Halo game was…pretty dang good! Bungie’s Xbox launch title was a stunning display of moody tone, a massive step forward for level design, and the overall experience still holds up today. But as Halo fans wade into the nostalgia pool, I can’t help but think that Halo is far from the best Halo game. That honor goes to Halo 4.
During his time at Bethesda Nate Purkeypile was an artist on Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Starfield, as well as lead artist on Fallout 76. Now independent, he's responsible for stealth-archer bowhunting FPS The Axis Unseen, but when he spent some time talking to YouTube channel The Examined Game recently, his tenure at Bethesda was the main subject.
With Bethesda finally making the long-rumored news of a Fallout 3 remaster official, naturally that came up. Purkeypile is excited about the idea of seeing one of his children be taken over by someone else. "I'm personally looking forward to that," he said, "because we were like super tech-constrained making Fallout 3. And you could only place so many lights."
The Fallout 3 Bethesda released wasn't really what they'd hoped it would be at the time, he went on to say. "It's not like it's exactly how we intended," he said. "I get why people are more upset over like movie remakes and stuff, but in the case of games and particularly the art side of it, it's 100% not what we intended, and it was very, very constrained."
Fallout 3's concept art has always been a tantalizing glimpse at what we could have had, but even a simple change like extending the draw distance to give a better sense of the Commonwealth Wasteland's scale would be an improvement. Purkeypile is in favour of the kind of modern remaster that goes a bit further into remake territory, though.
"I think a lot of these remakes have been done frankly better lately too," he said. "Like the Resident Evil ones and stuff, those were fantastic. Whereas for a while I think a lot of those updates were just like, 'Oh, we made the textures a little bit bigger, and like threw a sharpen filter in Photoshop,' and it doesn't really look that much better, or actually as good as other games that are coming out."
The Lord of the Rings has maintained its cultural significance since the 1950s through books, movies, toys, video games, and now television, expanding a fandom that stretches across generations, which makes it an excellent starting point as you shop for the One Gift in 2026. Now that the holidays are almost here, a good LotR gift idea could be just what you need to bring some Middle-earth flavored joy into the equation.
Top The Lord of the Rings Gifts
There’s no shortage of options for the Lord of the Rings fans in your life, so we’ve narrowed down the best gifts across different areas of interest, from must-have movie and book sets to collectibles of all kinds. There's a little something for everyone here.
Gifts for Fans of the Books
Our top pick for Lord of the Rings readers is this gorgeous 1,248-page compilation of the full trilogy featuring 30 maps and sketches illustrated by Tolkien himself. With unique cover art and red-sprayed edges, this edition of Tolkien’s fantasy saga is an eye-catching addition to any bookshelf that holds within it one of the greatest and most beloved works of fantasy. If you already own these, it's worth noting that there's a The Fall of Numenor version coming out later this fall as well.
You can also pick up the massive Deluxe Illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion, all of which have reduced prices at Amazon. We've also included a couple of popular book sets as well and other coffee table books worth adding to your collection below. These are some of our overall favorite gifts for readers in general, so definitely worth considering.
Gifts for Fans of the Movies
Our top pick is a fairly new release that came out last December. This collection bundles the theatrical and extended cuts of all three Lord of the Rings movies with faux-leather packaging and a high-quality replica of the One Ring engraved with the same Elvish text seen in the book/movies: “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
If you'd rather pick up each trilogy separately, you can do so in their own 4K collection. You can also pick up War of the Rohirrim, the most recent animated film as well. There are a lot of different LotR Blu-rays available, but we've found that the box sets make for the best overall gifts and are usually less expensive than buying individually.
Gifts for Fans of LEGO
The LEGO Balrog Book Nook set is great for fans of the books looking to give their bookshelves an extra flair, and the size of this set pair nicely with the Deluxe Illustrated Editoins of Tolkien's collected works. We built the set earlier this year, and highly recommend it for both LEGO fans and avid readers.
One of the other awesome Lord of the Rings LEGO sets we recommend is a majestic depiction of the Elven settlement Rivendell, complete with 15 minifigures and movable models of key locations like Frodo’s bedroom and the Council of Elrond. The 6,167-piece set is sure to keep its new owner busy well into the season. Kevin Wong, LEGO fanatic and builder, said the LEGO set is "an epic tribute to Fellowship" from his LEGO build guide.
The LEGO Icons Sauron's Helmet set is another awesome build, and is a faithful recreations of the titular Lord of the Rings' imposing helmet. It comes with a Sauron minifigure, display base, and dispaly plaque.
Gifts for Fans of Board Games
Our top pick is the perfect gift for experienced board game players. War of the Ring is an expertly crafted, fairly advanced strategy game for 2–4 people that pits the armies of the Free Peoples against those of the Shadows in a battle for Middle-earth.
Outside of that game there are actually quite a few other Lord of the Rings tabletop options available. If you're looking for a re-skinned version of a classic, you can pick up Lord of the Rings Monopoly or even a themed chess set. Tolkien's world makes for a really cool chess set if you don't mind spending a bit of money to snag one.
The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game is quick and easy card game that's great for newer board game players, as well.
Gifts for Fans of Magic: the Gathering
The Lord of the Rings starter kit provides two gifts in one: the cards themselves and the ability to immediately jump into the game with two ready-to-play, 60-card decks. It’s a great value at $20, and it’s our top pick for those looking to learn the ins and outs of MtG with a friend. Be sure to also see the best Magic the Gathering gift list which also includes these LOTR highlights!
Gifts for Chronic Puzzlers
There are a lot of great jigsaw puzzles for adults out there, but Lord of the Rings puzzles are some of the most enticing. J.R.R. Tolkien's world has been expanded beyond well beyond the movies and books all kinds of merchandise, so it shouldn't be too surprising that there are some enticing jigsaw options worthy of gifting as well.
We've featured the theory11 puzzle because it has the same look and feel of illustrated Lord of the Rings books. It's a cool design that is worthy of hanging on the wall when you're done. But there are plenty of other Lord of the Rings puzzles where that came from, including 3D builds that are a much cheaper LEGO alternative.
Middle-Earth 3D Maps
ZeWood makes tactile 3D maps, and Middle-Earth is one of the best ones around. If you're looking for some Lord of the Rings wall art, this should be one of your first stops. Each map is officially licensed and come in different sizes and color options. ZeWood's maps are all made as layered and stained wood, which is then laser-cut to create the topography.
Log in
As it turns out, birds of a feather don't always flock together.
After all, Lea Thompson doesn't believe her daughter Zoey Deutch will ever make an appearance on Anna Pigeon, the USA Network show...
