Tales of the Shire Continues an Underrated Cozy Game…

The cozy game genre has been around for almost 30 years, and during its lifetime it's developed a plethora of traditions and conventions that have now become staple features of the genre. Decorating mechanics, social systems, and a suite of relaxing minigames are all expected elements of a modern cozy game, and Tales of the Shire embraces each one wholeheartedly.

The entirety of Tales of the Shire's gameplay loop revolves around the usual cozy game formula of increasing friendships with local villagers, performing a variety of tasks for them, and being rewarded with unique items of furniture that players can then use to customize their home. But that's just scratching the surface of Tales of the Shire's affinity for cozy game traditions. Tales of the Shire also embraces some more underrated cozy genre staples, with its approach to PlayStation trophies being one.

Tales of the Shire's Trophy List Follows Cozy Genre Conventions

Though it isn't true for all genre entries, many cozy games have a fairly straightforward Platinum Trophy hunt for those playing on PlayStation. A Short Hike, for instance, has a 3/10 difficulty rating on PSNProfiles, and the Platinum can be obtained in just four hours. Untitled Goose Game has similar stats, with the same site giving it a 4/10 difficulty rating and stating the Platinum can be earned in just six hours.

Of course, these two examples come from games that are inherently shorter, so it's only natural that their Platinum Trophy hunts are short as well. But even a game like Spiritfarer, which takes around 25 hours to beat (according to HowLongToBeat.com) boasts a pleasant 4/10 difficulty rating on PSNProfiles, and can be completed in its entirety after just one 35-hour playthrough.

What makes the journey to Platinum these cozy games so enjoyable is the nature of their trophies. It's very rare for a cozy game to feature a trophy list that's filled with grind-heavy milestones, and the ones that do appear can often be completed as part of the game's main story content.

Stardew Valley is a noteworthy exception to this cozy game rule, with PSNProfiles listing it at a 6/10 difficulty, and stating it takes 110 hours to Platinum.

Tales of the Shire follows this covert cozy game tradition, delivering a trophy list that shouldn't cause too much friction. Though PSNProfiles doesn't have any stats regarding Tales of the Shire's trophy list at the time of writing, the vast majority of trophies are fairly easy to complete, and the ones that require a bit of a grind shouldn't take up too much of the player's time.

The Most Difficult Trophies to Get in Tales of the Shire

Players will likely obtain most of Tales of the Shire's trophies during the game's main story quest, with it requiring them to engage in all parts of the life-sim's gameplay loop. That said, there are a handful of trophies in Tales of the Shire that might require more attention, such as:

"Po-ta-toes" - Cook all recipes containing potatoes
"A Charming and Cheerful Garden" - Unlock all garden areas
"It Snowed Food and Rained Drink" - Cook one of every meal
"Welcome Such Folks as Friends" - Reach maximum Fellowship level with all NPCs
"Taking Pleasure in Every Meal" - Satisfy every NPC's craving with a 5-star meal