Tales of the Shire is now only a few months away from launch, meaning that fans of The Lord of the Rings won't have to wait much longer to finally experience a cozy view of Middle-earth. Revealed last year, Tales of the Shire has faced some delays, but now that a launch date is on the horizon, cozy life sim lovers will soon get to revel in Hobbit life.
The Lord of the Rings boasts a variety of fascinating fantasy races, but Hobbits are by far the coziest of the options. This race of small-statured, hairy-footed beings tend to love the simpler things in life, and that's what makes Tales of the Shire so exciting for those looking for a more relaxing game. There is bound to be plenty of exploring to do in Tales of the Shire, and when it comes to stumbling upon interesting lore, finding information in books seems like the perfect way to dive deeper into the game's world.
Tales of the Shire Could Feel the Events of The Hobbit Even Without a Bilbo Cameo
Tolkien's most famous hobbit may or may not make an appearance in Tales of the Shire, but either way, his shadow can loom large over the game.
Tales of the Shire Could Use Books as the Perfect Cozy Lore Tool
Bilbo Baggins particularly loved books. So much so that he took to writing about his adventures to make his own. Considering that Hobbits love leisurely pastimes, it's unlikely that Bilbo is the only one in the Shire who loves to sit back with a good book. Tales of the Shire has the big benefit of already having a lot of lore behind it, but hiding deep-cut knowledge and references to characters or important events in books could be a fun nod to not only Bilbo's love for them, but the franchise in general.
The Lord of the Rings boasts a variety of fascinating fantasy races, but Hobbits are by far the coziest of the options.
Players will be able to customize their own Hobbit and home.
Books Are the Very Reason The Lord of the Rings Exists
- The Hobbit was first published back in 1937.
The release of The Hobbit kickstarted The Lord of the Rings franchise, and without that book's publication, the world would be missing one of the most influential pieces of fantasy literature. Tales of the Shire is bound to honor the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien, and books would be a wonderful way to pay homage to the very beginning of the franchise.
It's incredibly easy to imagine oneself playing as a Hobbit, rummaging around through a bookstore or even a neighbor's house to stumble across a book that mentions either the tales of Bilbo or the Battle of Helm's Deep. The Lord of the Rings is absolutely filled to the brim with fascinating points of lore, so finding interesting facts or Easter eggs for developer Weta Workshop to find definitely wouldn't be a difficult task.
This is Weta Workshop's first-ever video game. Despite the company being new to video games, it is very familiar with The Lord of the Rings, as it was the visual effects studio that helped Peter Jackson bring the films to life.
Tales of the Shire is Set to Make the Summer Cozy
- Tales of the Shire is set to launch on July 29, 2025.
- The game will be available across all consoles and PC.
Unless Tales of the Shire hits another hiccup and gets delayed again, Weta Workshop's leisurely life sim is set to bring a hint of coziness to the summer game lineup. Tales of the Shire has serious competition when it comes to its respective genre, but the game's special blend of comforting gameplay mixed with The Lord of the Rings might have what it takes to really stand out.
Once Tales of the Shire arrives, fans of The Lord of the Rings can revel in all the Hobbit-inspired activities they wish. Not only does Tales of the Shire offer a brand-new take on the franchise's usual approach, but it can also potentially offer an even deeper glimpse into the history of Middle-earth.
- Released
- July 29, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Wētā Workshop
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Franchise
- The Lord of the Rings
- Number of Players
- 1
