Cozy hobbit game Tales of the Shire won me over with a subtly brilliant feature I've never seen in a farm life sim before

GamesLife SimTales of the ShireCozy hobbit game Tales of the Shire won me over with a subtly brilliant feature I’ve never seen in a farm life sim beforeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

Tales of the Shire hobbits

A 30-minute demo withTales of the Shireat Summer Game Fest last week confirmed what was, uh, never actually in any doubt:it’s Stardew Valley but with happy little hobbits. Well, not Stardew Valley exactly—it’s in 3D rather than 2D and is focused a bit more on cooking than farming as its primary “cozy” mechanic—but you get the gist. This is one of many, many life sims that have followed in Stardew’s wake, but like Disney Dreamlight Valley it’s getting a big boost off the starting line thanks to its setting. If I were going to spend a couple hundred hours farming, cooking, and customizing my in-game homestead exactly how I like it, I can’t think of a nicer setting than Middle-earth via New Zealand.

It’s a lovely fairytale touch. A little videogamey, sure, but so much less immersion-breaking than pulling up a map covered in icons. And it doesn’t feel that out of line for a Lord of the Rings bird to me. If the eagles are smart enough to have a chat with Gandalf, maybe your standard Shire blue jay is up for making sure you get your pies delivered on time.

Image1of6(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

Image1of6

(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

Tales of the Shire

(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

Tales of the Shire

(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

Tales of the Shire

(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

Tales of the Shire

(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

Tales of the Shire

(Image credit: Weta Workshop)

Tales of the Shire

This is Wētā’s first videogame, so I do still wonder how the whole package will turn out, and if it’ll manage to work its way into our list of thebest games like Stardew Valley. I didn’t have enough time in my demo to really get a feel for the cooking system, but it was much deeper than I expected and may be the thing that really grabs people. How you prepare ingredients can affect the outcome of a dish on a four-quadrant grid of crisp vs. tender and smooth vs. chunky, which will come into play as you invite fellow hobbits over for a meal and try to win their favor.

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Tales of the Shire doesn’t have a release date yet, but should be out this year.

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