The Unwritten Rules of Tales of the Shire Explained

The general purpose of most cozy games is to provide a relaxing environment for the player to simply exist in for a while, a place where they can let go of their real-world troubles and immerse themselves in the carefree nature of the world, its calming activities, and its friendly folk. Tales of the Shire puts this purpose at the forefront of its cozy gameplay loop.

But there are some cozy game players out there who enjoy a relaxing atmosphere but seek a slightly more structured path, one that might see them acquiring the best items and upgrades as quickly as possible, for instance. For those kinds of players, Tales of the Shire has a few unwritten rules that might help them achieve their ideal Hobbit life a bit sooner.

Tales of the Shire Should Have 'Stolen' This Feature From The Lord of the Rings

Tales of the Shire features a ton of references to The Lord of the Rings, but there's one aspect of the movies it should have leaned all the way into.

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By Cameron Swan

Tales of the Shire's Unwritten Rules Explained

A core part of Tales of the Shire's gameplay loop is its set of four social clubs. One for gardening, fishing, cooking, and foraging, Tales of the Shire's social clubs reward the player with XP every time they complete any activity related to the club, such as simply catching a fish, planting a seed, or foraging a piece of fruit from a bush. Building XP will eventually result in the player's club rank increasing, which provides them with some vital upgrades, such as increased inventory space and additional plots of land surrounding their Hobbit-hole.

Unlocking Tales of the Shire's social clubs usually occurs a few hours into the game, but if players solely focus on the game's main quest, they should be able to have all four clubs up and running within an hour or two. Players should focus on getting these clubs going as soon as possible, as then they'll be rewarded whenever they complete just about any activity in the game.

Host Shared Meals As Often As You Can

On the subject of progression and rewards, Tales of the Shire is home to a Fellowship mechanic, whereby players can increase their standing with the rest of Bywater's residents to earn special items like unique recipes, furniture, and house upgrades. The most effective way to increase a villager's Fellowship rank is by feeding them high-quality dishes via a shared meal.

To set up a shared meal in Tales of the Shire, players need to write their Hobbit friends an invite, wait a day, cook some food, and host the meal at the designated location. Because these shared meals require the player to wait a day before completion, those wanting to blitz through Tales of the Shire might want to stick to a cycle where they're hosting a shared meal in a different location every day. They should also choose locations that host at least four people, such as the Three Farthing Stone or the Ivy Bush Inn.

Try Your Best To Really Embody a Hobbit's Way of Life

This unwritten rule runs a bit antithetical to the last two, but it's by far the most important thing to remember while playing Tales of the Shire, even for those who are trying to complete everything the game has to offer as quickly as they can. Tales of the Shire is best enjoyed when players try to embody a Hobbit's way of life. That means taking things one day at a time, and focusing only on the things they genuinely want to do.

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