Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game will launch on July 29, 2025. There are many cozy games in the space at the moment, but Tales of the Shire has no problem differentiating itself from the others, with its premise of living as a hobbit in the Shire clear. Players will be able to decorate their own hobbit hole and establish themselves within the small village of Bywater.
Tales of the Shire stands apart from other cozy games by taking place within The Lord of the Rings universe of Middle-earth. Hobbits are closely associated with food, living in harmony with nature, and their homes that blend seamlessly into the landscape are evidence of that. However, The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature is releasing just a few weeks before Tales of the Shire, with a premise similar enough to put itself on the same playing field as Tales of the Shire.
Months Ahead of Its Release, It’s Clear What Tales of the Shire’s Biggest Advantage Over Its Cozy Counterparts Is
Tales of the Shire releases July 29 and boasts one feature that many other cozy sims lack that is sure to become a staple moving forward.
The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature May Be Competition for Tales of the Shire
The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature expansion pack is set to release in July, just a few weeks before Tales of the Shire, and will include many of its features. Tales of the Shire and The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature aren't 1:1, but their setting and gameplay are similar enough to become a worry for Tales of the Shire. In the official trailer for The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature, a Sim home that looked a lot like a hobbit hole was spotted, giving rise to speculation that players will be able to create their own hobbit holes with the tools that come with the expansion pack.
While The Sims 4 is a life sim, it could be played as a cozy game, especially with the right expansion packs. The Sims 4: Cottage Living and The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature would allow players to farm, cook elaborate meals with the crops they produce, or can and jar them as preserves. Enchanted By Nature would add emphasis on plants and their medicinal and alchemical properties, while its Build mode would allow for creating homes reminiscent of hobbit holes.
Tales of the Shire Has Some Advantages
Some players have expressed hesitation regarding Tales of the Shire’s art style, particularly when it comes to its character models. While the environmental design and cozy atmosphere have generally received praise for capturing the idyllic charm of the Shire, the hobbit characters themselves have sparked debate. Some fans feel that the models appear too stylized or simplified, but the game's delays have worked to its advantage, and the art style has become more refined closer to launch.
Meanwhile, The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature expansion pack is set to launch at a price of $40, which places it in the same price range—if not a bit more expensive—than Tales of the Shire, which is an entire standalone game rather than an expansion pack. Despite its higher pricing, based on previous expansion packs in The Sims 4, Enchanted By Nature may offer fewer features overall when compared to the full scope of Tales of the Shire, especially for players who are interested in a comprehensive life sim experience. While The Sims 4 base game plus expansion content does provide a wide range of customization and simulation features, each expansion typically adds focused, limited systems rather than a fully integrated new game experience.
Tales of the Shire is designed as a standalone experience, with farming, cooking, relationship-building, decorating, and exploring as core parts of its gameplay, and may even receive continued developer support post-launch. In contrast, Enchanted By Nature will require The Sims 4 base game to access and is likely to build on existing mechanics rather than introduce entirely new gameplay systems, and may even include broken systems, as seen in The Sims 4: Dine Out, The Sims 4: Wedding Stories, and The Sims 4: For Rent. While The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature might complement the cozy sim genre, Tales of the Shire may ultimately deliver a deeper and more cohesive package for a similar price.
- Released
- July 29, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Wētā Workshop
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Franchise
- The Lord of the Rings
- Number of Players
- 1
