Tales of the Shire hasn't had the best luck so far. First announced in September 2023, Tales of the Shire looked immediately promising to fans of the Lord of the Rings franchise, with its life-sim gameplay formula being a natural fit for a Hobbit-focused game. But early previews of Tales of the Shire weren't too positive.
Originally set to launch in late 2024, Tales of the Shire was delayed to March 2025. And mere weeks from release, Tales of the Shire has been delayed once again, with the game now targeting a July 29 release date. While these delays have made many fans a little skeptical that the game will live up to its inherently great premise, many are still willing to take the leap later this year. But even if Tales of the Shire doesn't end up sticking the landing, there are plenty of future projects its formula could end up inspiring.
Why Tales of the Shire Suddenly Has Even More Weight to Shoulder
Now that a sequel to some of the best Lord of the Rings games likely won't happen, Tales of the Shire has even more weight to bear on its shoulders.
Tales of the Shire Should Just Be The Tip of the Iceberg For Cozy Licensed Games
Tales of the Shire's Formula Could Work With a Few Other Fantasy Franchises
Though the game isn't out yet, and obviously still has a lot to prove, Tales of the Shire's proposed gameplay formula has a lot of potential on paper. According to Tales of the Shire's gameplay trailers, players will be gardening and fishing during the day, using those resources to prepare meals, selling wares to purchase new items and furniture, and using those newly collected pieces to customize their Hobbit home.
It's nothing revolutionary for the cozy genre, but Tales of the Shire's clear and strong embrace of the Lord of the Rings IP helps the game to stand out immediately. And that seems like it could be the case for other IPs.
Harry Potter is a wildly successful fantasy franchise, arguably even more so than The Lord of the Rings. A cozy game in a similar vein to Tales of the Shire but set in the Wizarding World seems like easy money. Rather than garden and fish, a Harry Potter cozy life-sim could have players taming magical beasts, and rather than visit the local Hobbit market to buy new resources, players could take a trip to Hogsmeade. Hogwarts Legacy already laid the foundations for a Harry Potter cozy game with mechanics like its beast vivariums. All the franchise needs to do is just separate those mechanics and forge a new, cozy-focused game around them.
Tales of the Shire's Formula Could Even Fit Some Non-Fantasy Franchises
Tales of the Shire's gameplay formula even has the potential to be used for franchises that aren't from the fantasy genre. For instance, a Star Wars cozy life-sim could work very well if given enough time and effort. Players could choose one of the Star Wars galaxy's most iconic planets to settle on, and begin to build a virtual life there, gathering local resources, preparing meals, and customizing their humble Sci-Fi abode.
Once established in their new home, players could then unlock the ability to travel to new planets, in a similar vein to Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Dodo Airlines transportation system. These planets would have their own unique resources to harvest and characters to discover, thus fueling the gameplay loop by encouraging players to travel across the galaxy to unlock desirable new items and see familiar faces.
- Released
- July 29, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Wētā Workshop
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Franchise
- The Lord of the Rings
- Number of Players
- 1
