Wētā Workshop has announced Tales of the Shire, an upcoming cozy life sim set in the Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien. Set to launch later this year on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC, Tales of the Shire will have players creating their own Hobbit as they set forth in Bywater to help establish a new village in Hobbiton. Like many games in the cozy life sim genre, Tales of the Shire offers gardening, fishing, foraging, trading, and decorating. Players can also prepare homemade meals to share with other Hobbits to help grow relationships. Remember, Hobbits love second breakfast.
It is refreshing to see a game set in The Lord of the Rings universe that does not involve killing numerous orcs. Hopefully, Tales of the Shire will introduce new elements to the genre, rather than being merely another cookie-cutter cozy game with a fresh coat of paint.
