Private Division and developer Weta Workshop have released a Lord of the Rings game that isn’t focused on epic battles and fantastical adventure, but a cozy life sim. Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is available now on Steam PC, PlayStation 5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
Tales of the Shire takes place entirely within the cozy utopian Hobbit village known as Bywater, located in The Shire.
As filthy Hobbitses — sorry, who let Gollum in here?
As wholesome Hobbits, players can engage in all the usual life sim activities. Fish in ponds, forage for ingredients, cook meals, trade goods, and decorate your own personal Hobbit-hole. Plus, establish relationships and make friends with the other Hobbit characters, which probably involves gifts and meals.
Players can also explore the region for lost treasures and other secrets, and experience seasonal weather changes, familiar characters, and club missions.
A Retail Edition is also available via iam8bit, for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch versions.
“We have a deep love of J.R.R. Tolkien and the world he created, having worked with his stories and characters for more than 25 years,” said Richard Taylor, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Weta Workshop. “While we are better known for depicting epic battle scenes and grisly creatures from Tolkien’s imagination, with Tales of the Shire we have deliberately taken a much more Hobbit-friendly pace and poured our hearts into creating a wonderfully cozy corner of Middle-earth for everyone to enjoy.”
Tales of the Shire is available now, and rated E for Everyone.
