At yesterday’s Nintendo Direct, we finally got a good look at Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game, developed by Wētā Workshop and published by Private Division and Take-Two Interactive. Tales of the Shire was available for hands-on previews at Summer Game Fest 2024, and there was no way I was leaving without playing it. I got to sit down and play for 30 minutes, part at the very beginning of the game and part a bit of the way in to see how early and late game will play out, and I am eager to see more.
I have had my eye on Tales of the Shire for a while. I will admit: I am not a passionate Lord of the Rings fan, though I’ve seen and enjoyed all the movies. I don’t think that really matters here, though. What matters is a love for sims and cute and cozy games. LOTR knowledge certainly makes the lore and Easter eggs all that more fun, but it is not a prerequisite.
First off, Tales of the Shire has a fairly involved character creator. Here, you could change many of the normal things about your character, but the most important of them is the hair on your Hobbit’s feet. I thought it was as cute as I was disturbed. The Hobbits have a clumsy charm to them, everything from the way they emote to the way they move. It is part of the appeal.
“Tales of the Shire is more of a LOTR cooking simulator, and it brings some interesting ideas to the table.”
The game begins with you learning how to cook; you’ve missed second breakfast! You run your little hairy Hobbit feet inside to get cooking! Cooking is surprisingly intricate in Tales of the Shire, and from what I can tell, it is the main mechanic for the game. Rather than a farming simulator where you’re aiming to grow and make money, Tales of the Shire is more of a LOTR cooking simulator, and it brings some interesting ideas to the table.
Coral Island took cooking further by introducing different tools needed to cook, but Tales of the Shire not only uses different tools but incorporates ways to create new flavours and textures all within its cooking mechanics. For instance, different ingredients can make a dish sweet, spicy, salty, etc. So, someone may be craving a specific dish but in the mood for something saltier, and you can alter the recipe to make it happen.
There is also a mechanic that allows you to make a dish crisp, smooth, tender or chunky (and no, I don’t like that word). Depending on how much you work the food between chopping, frying, pickling, etc., it can change the texture to your—or your guest’s—liking. I never thought I’d write so much about cooking mechanics, but here we are, and where better than with Hobbits!
“Tales of the Shire brings an adorable, somewhat awkward art style paired with the Hobbit theme to make it so charming that anyone who loves cozy games will want to jump in.”
Of course, where there is cooking, there must be the three F’s: foraging, farming and fishing. You will be able to gather ingredients from around the Shire, fish in the local waters, and build a farm right in your own backyard. These are all pretty standard mechanics in a simulator like this one, but Tales of the Shire brings an adorable, somewhat awkward art style paired with the Hobbit theme to make it so charming that anyone who loves cozy games will want to jump in.
Tales of the Shire will feature plenty of quests to complete, which can come from your mailbox or people around the area. Developing relationships with them will include throwing dinner parties and serving your home-cooked meals. You also decorate and upgrade your Hobbit hole, customizing the decor to your liking! The size of the map looked to be quite impressive as well, though I only saw a small portion. Tales of the Shire looks to have a lot to offer in terms of content and cuteness, but make no mistake, cooking is king here.
And personally, the MOST important thing to know about Tales of the Shire is that when you run, you actually frolic, and I spent 30 minutes giggling because I think it is the best thing in the world. Tales of the Shire is hoping to be released in the winter of 2024 and will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
