The Lord of the Rings has a long gaming history, but one area that the franchise hasn’t yet thoroughly covered is the life simulation genre. Represented by games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and The Sims, life simulation games tend to forego epic quests and intense gameplay in favor of embracing aspects of the mundane. The world of Middle-earth is certainly home to vast adventure and earth-shaking battles, but there’s a separate side to things that a new game, Tales of the Shire, could finally focus on to deliver an experience unlike anything before.
Some The Lord of the Rings games have flirted with more relaxing gameplay elements, although it’s never been the main priority. The Lord of the Rings Online features festivals in the Shire and cozy taverns to visit, but the story pulls the experience toward a grand adventure, and LEGO The Lord of the Rings features plenty of silly charm to lower the stakes. Slaying the Balrog, fighting in Helm’s Deep, or even carving a new narrative in The Lord of the Rings 5e adaption do make for great gameplay — as does the much more revisionist experience carving through orcs as a ranger with wraith abilities in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor — but such ground has been well-trod by now.
Tales Of The Shire Is A Cozy Lord Of The Rings Game
Revealed via an official talesoftheshire Twitter account in honor of Hobbit Day, the September 22 date of Bilbo and Frodo’s shared birthday in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tales of the Shire is an upcoming game set to explore the more low-key Middle-earth experience. Arriving courtesy of the effects and prop company Wētā Workshop and game publisher Private Division, Tales of the Shire is set to release in 2024. The teaser doesn’t reveal much about the game, but the “cosy” and “heart-warming” descriptors alongside a desk showing Hobbit-like clutter make the overall vibe clear.
Tales Of The Shire Could Have Major Animal Crossing Appeal
The Shire is a uniquely alluring setting, appealing to a certain idyllic vision that makes the horrors of war and loss in The Lord of the Rings all the more acute. Making a cozy game in this setting has the chance to achieve an Animal Crossing level of charm, as decorating a Hobbit hole and meeting idiosyncratic villagers could create a compelling gameplay loop. It’s also likely to have some kind of focus on gardening or farming, flavoring the fun of Harvest Moon with the daily life of someone like Samwise Gamgee.
It’s difficult to make any assumptions about specific elements of Tales of the Shire right now, as little more is on the table than a logo and general indication of genre. As more continues to be revealed, however, the game has potential to shape up into an escapist experience like nothing that games set in Middle-earth have yet forayed into. Whether celebrating eleventy-first birthdays with friends or simply cooking up a healthy second breakfast, there’s no shortage of cozy elements from The Lord of the Rings for Tales of the Shire to bring to the table.
