Tales of the Shire, the heartwarming life simulation game set in the Lord of the Rings universe, has changed its release date and also gotten a strange name. Set to release on March 25, 2025, it’s now called Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game. Apparently, referencing the Shire wasn’t enough of a hint for fans. LOTR die-hards are notoriously ignorant about their beloved series. This is extreme irony.
Either way, the information was provided during Private Division and Wētā Workshop’s Hobbit Day Showcase, which revealed a ton of new footage and also included a number of interviews with the game’s designers, who are actually helping develop the game after producing effects for all of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth films.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game (that’s easy to say, really) was originally scheduled to be released in 2024, but has been delayed to allow the developers to iron out some bugs and deliver a fully realized version of the game as originally envisioned. Expect a polished gameplay experience to be available in March.
For the uninitiated, this is a cozy simulation. It has elements of Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and other games in the genre. There’s farming, fishing and a deep character interaction system. And of course, there’s a strong focus on cooking big feasts – we all know how much Hobbits love to feast.
The game looks cute enough and I’m always up for a new cozy simulation game. But the developers have confirmed that despite the emphasis on relationships and developing friendships, there will be no romance. The developers say that romance doesn’t fit the atmosphere of the game. Either way, Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game will be released for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It will also be available on Netflix.
