Tales of the Shire's Friendships Can 'Copy' This Game's…

With Tales of the Shire being pushed back till July, the indie simulation game has time to nail down the exact details of its gameplay. This changed release date is likely due to the game’s early access period, which received mixed reviews from players and critics alike. Therefore, some information about Tales of the Shire’s gameplay has been revealed to the public. But details like the names of the game’s NPCs still remain in the dark.

However, the developers at Weta Workshop have confirmed that building relationships with Tales of the Shire’s NPCs is an integral part of gameplay. Players must cook meals, collect items, and complete quests to build relationships with the various Hobbits that inhabit the Shire. In particular, heavy emphasis has been placed on cooking and shared meals, suggesting that food will be one of the most successful ways to increase friendship levels with Tales of the Shire’s NPCs.

Tales of the Shire More Like Hello Kitty

Tales of the Shire Should Be More Like Hello Kitty Than Animal Crossing in One Way

Tales of the Shire has plenty of simulation games to be inspired by, but it should go the route of Hello Kitty Island Adventure with one feature.

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By Megan Lorich

Hello Kitty Island Adventure Should Inspire Tales of the Shire's Friendship Rewards

But with Friendship Levels being a confirmed aspect of Tales of the Shire, it would be unsurprising to see Friendship Rewards incorporated into the game as well. Plenty of simulation games have this feature, though it differs from title to title. For example, Disney Dreamlight Valley and Hello Kitty Island Adventure will give players a new unique reward as each Friendship level is completed. Other games will give players rewards after every quest or generic non-Villager-specific rewards after each Friendship Level.

Out of the various simulation titles that feature this gameplay mechanic, Tales of the Shire should follow in the footsteps of Hello Kitty Island Adventure specifically. Both games already have several similarities, namely that they are both simulation games under big-name IPs, Sanrio and the Tolkien Verse, respectively. While Hello Kitty Island Adventure and Disney Dreamlight Valley share a Friendship Rewards model level-by-level, Hello Kitty Island Adventure presents players who have reached the Max Friendship Level with a Villager with a unique opportunity.

Players who give a Villager they have achieved Best Friends status with a gift will receive a Character Gift Box themed to that specific Villager. For example, if a player has Best Friends status with Hello Kitty and gives her an item, she will give them a Hello Kitty Box corresponding to the number of hearts the initial gift was worth.

What Tales of the Shire's Character Boxes Could Look Like

Having unique character-themed gift boxes like Hello Kitty Island Adventure would be a great way to establish the names and specific personality traits of Tales of the Shire’s Villagers. This would be even better if Tales of the Shire also follows the items that are present in these boxes. Regular-sized Character Boxes have unique Collector's Hats in them corresponding with the box’s character. For example, the Hello Kitty Box has a Hello Kitty Collector's Hat. Of course, Tales of the Shire should choose a unique Tolkien Verse item for its exclusive Character Box rewards. One option is a pipe, considering that both Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins have a fondness for the item.

There’s a high chance that Tales of the Shire’s NPCs will be entirely new creations for the game. Tales of the Shire is set between the events of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, meaning characters like Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry are unfortunately out of the picture as Villagers. This puts even more pressure on establishing Tales of the Shire’s Villagers, as games like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Hello Kitty Island Adventure have the benefit of established characters on their rosters. Nevertheless, character-themed Friendship Reward boxes would be a great way to establish Tales of the Shire’s Villagers while also giving players new content.