When it comes to fantasy worlds, there are few quite as sprawling or beloved as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. From the peak of the Lonely Mountain in the north all the way to the dark depths of Mordor in the south, every inch of Tolkien's world has been committed to memory by die-hard Lord of the Rings fans. And while past Lord of the Rings games have taken players on a cross-continent adventure, Tales of the Shire is not one of those, instead choosing to focus solely on its eponymous cozy locale.
A calming life-sim revolving around Middle-earth's chillest beings, Tales of the Shire ditches the usual War of the Ring setting and instead chooses to take place in the calm before the storm. And there's no better place to live blissfully unaware than the Shire. But while Tales of the Shire keeps its focus on one tiny part of Middle-earth, its inhabitants are happy to share gossip about the outside world.
Tales of the Shire Review
A Lord of the Rings life-sim, Tales of the Shire tries to live up to its inherently great premise, but the Hobbit game falls short in a few ways.
Every Lord of the Rings Location That Appears or Is Referenced in Tales of the Shire
Bywater
The primary setting of Tales of the Shire, Bywater isn't even a village yet in the cozy Hobbit life-sim. But in a few decades' time, Bywater is destined to become the site of the Shire's most brutal battle in history, with Saruman deciding to raze the peaceful village in an attempt to hurt Gandalf following his loss at Isengard.
Green Dragon Inn
Bywater is home to a few well-known Shire landmarks, with the Green Dragon Inn being the most popular of the lot. Not only was the Green Dragon Inn the site of Bilbo's rendezvous with Thorin and his dwarf allies, it was also a popular drinking spot for Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck both before and after they joined the Fellowship of the Ring. The Green Dragon is even the subject of a song Pippin and Merry sing in Edoras in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Players can visit the Green Dragon and interact with its Cotton family owners at any time in Tales of the Shire.
Brandywine River
A river that flows through most of the Shire, the Brandywine acts as a clear marker for what most Hobbits consider the outside world. Anything past the Brandywine is believed to be dangerous and peculiar, even including those who live in the Hobbit-run town of Buckland just on the other side of the river.
Hobbiton
By far the most renowned Shire destination, Hobbiton is the home of the Bagginses and the setting of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring's first act. Though players don't get to visit the neighboring town in Tales of the Shire, it's referenced frequently by the in-game townsfolk of Bywater.
Bree
Tales of the Shire's player-character wasn't born in Bywater. Instead, they actually came from Bree, a town of both Hobbits and Men. To get to Bywater, Tales of the Shire's player-character journeyed past the Prancing Pony, hopped aboard the Bucklebury Ferry, and crossed the Brandywine River.
Mirkwood
Interacting with a tall tree in Tales of the Shire will see the player-character remembering a story they'd heard about giant spiders in Mirkwood. This is a reference to The Hobbit, which sees the spiders of Mirkwood poison Radagast's animal companions, and The Lord of the Rings, with the Mirkwood spiders being descendants of Shelob.
Fangorn Forest
Fangorn Forest is also mentioned in the same breath as Mirkwood, with the player-character remembering tales of trees growing "taller than they should." This is an even more direct Lord of the Rings Easter egg, with it referencing the Ents that live in Fangorn Forest.
Khazad-dum
Though most of Tales of the Shire's NPC villagers are fellow Hobbits, a dwarf named Nefi runs the local forge. Nefi will occasionally reference their homeland of Khazad-dum, the sprawling dwarven city that was decimated by the Balrog.
- Released
- July 29, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Wētā Workshop
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Franchise
- The Lord of the Rings
- Number of Players
- 1
