The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a stealth traversal game set in Tolkien's Middle-Earth where you play Gollum after he escapes from Mordor. As you hunt for the One Ring, stolen by Bilbo Baggins, you ensure you remain hidden as you dash from one bit of cover to the next, while your two personalities wrestle for control. It's a unique game due to its focus on stealth, which explores Gollum's psyche and casts his internal struggles in a sympathetic light.

Set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and loosely following his story as explained by Gandalf in the opening chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring, you play Gollum after he's captured by Sauron's troops and sent to Barad-dûr for interrogation. As you make your daring escape, you move from cover to cover, ensuring none of the orc guards see you. You then make your way over the mountains of Mordor and through Cirith Ungol, where you first encounter Shelob, then on to Mirkwood and the realm of the woodland elves as you pursue your precious ring. All the while, Sméagol and Gollum vie for control, and you must choose which voice to obey.

Gameplay involves sneaking through the shadows, grappling, and climbing along walls, all while ensuring you remain unseen by guards and inhabitants. Due to your small stature and weakness, you're no match for an orc or an elf in single combat, so you have to stay hidden in the shadows as you progress through the many areas you visit. However, you can launch surprise attacks on careless enemies if they stray too close and can also use the environment around you to kill them in far more creative ways. Along the way, you encounter Gandalf and Thranduil, who question where you've been and your motives.

The result may sound like a slow game with little action, but that slowness creates a tension as you sneak your way past guards which keeps the game engaging and fun. It creates a surprisingly deep questioning of your morality and explores the complexities of the character of Gollum with sympathy and humanity.