Feeling enchanted by The Sims 4’s recent additions of fairies, hobbit holes, and all things magical? You might like another cosy sim that just dropped this summer.
Tales of the Shire is an official Lord of the Rings life sim. Make your own playable Hobbit and settle into a corner of the Shire known as Bywater, getting to know the village’s other residents and exploring the area along the way. And, of course, you get your own hobbit hole to decorate and maintain, too.
Settle in for second breakfast
It’s no secret that hobbits love to eat. So, it’s perhaps unsurprising that two of Tales of the Shire’s main gameplay features are cooking and foraging. Follow the flutters of butterflies, and you just might be lucky enough to find mushrooms and berries to use at your cooking station back in ye olde Hobbit hole.
Sound familiar? If natural living was one of the main draws of Enchanted By Nature for you, like it was for me, then you’re probably going to enjoy cooking up shared meals for Bywater’s not-quite-faefolk.
But is it actually good?
You might’ve heard of Tales of the Shire’s fairly mixed reception on launch. Reviews note that sometimes, gameplay loops can feel a little repetitive. And, interactions with Bywater locals can be a little more shallow than one might like. But if you’re concerned it’ll be like the almost-universally panned The Lord of the Rings: Gollum game from back in 2023, then you’ve not really got anything to worry about.
Tales of the Shire currently has a Very Positive rating on Steam with over 2,000 reviews. Generally speaking, these reviews highlight the sim’s slow, gentle approach to translating The Hobbit to a simulation game.
It’s mostly geared towards making a low-key, accessible cosy game for folks who don’t necessarily run their Stardew farm like the navy. A similar approach is taken with the Tolkien referencing, keeping it light-handed enough for casual enjoyers to get into.
So, don’t expect it to get too deep into the annals of the Shire or to spend hours grinding to cultivate the perfect potato set-up. However, if Hobbit life always seemed up your street – scranning seven meals a day and galavanting around rolling hills with your mates makes it sound pretty appetising, after all — then you’re probably going to like what the tie-in has to offer.
