[UPDATE] Everything We Know About Tales of the Shire, the Upcoming Cozy Hobbit Game

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UPDATE: Last night, Private Division and Wētā Workshop officially unveiled Tales of the Shire; you can read more about it here.

Original News

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is a new collaborative project between Private Division and Wētā Workshop that is expected to deliver something entirely new—a relaxed adventure set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth where we will, very likely, find ourselves in the role of a Hobbit. Aside from a hint that the game’s plot, or at least a part of it, could take place in the Shire, very little information about this project is available. However, new teasers for the game recently appeared on X.

Imagine living in the Shire, tending to your crops, and decorating your Hobbit home. This could be the core formula for the upcoming game set in the world of the Hobbits and The Lord of the Rings. Announced on International Hobbit Day in 2022 (yes, such a day exists), Tales of the Shire should be getting its first proper trailer very soon.

As you might guess, Tales of the Shire does not focus on the all-out battle between good and evil as depicted in The Lord of the Rings. Nevertheless, this story is just as interesting as those told in other games like those from the Middle-Earth series and Lord of the Rings Online, not to mention the iconic film adaptations by director Peter Jackson. Instead, the upcoming title is described as a “cozy game set in the world of Middle-earth, inspired by the books of J.R.R. Tolkien.”

One of the problems is that very little information is available about the game. We know it will be available for consoles and PC, while mobile platforms have not been mentioned. Also, no gameplay video has been released so far.

Tales of the Shire is Under the Private Division Publishing House

The premise of a game set in The Lord of the Rings universe sounds ambitious, as confirmed by previous titles, such as Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, but fortunately, a reputable name is backing this game. Tales of the Shire comes from publisher Private Division, which already has several quality games in its portfolio, including the space flight simulator Kerbal Space Program, the sci-fi adventure The Outer Worlds, and the extremely successful indie title Hades.

Furthermore, the game is being created in collaboration with Wētā Workshop’s internal games division. As fans of The Lord of the Rings films will be aware, this special effects studio has an outstanding pedigree dating back to the late eighties. Who better to create a “cozy” game about Hobbits than the company that designed the Shire in director Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies?

To recall, Private Division announced in 2022 that it had signed a new publishing agreement with Wētā Workshop and immediately began work on a new Lord of the Rings game. Specifically, Middle-earth Enterprises licensed the literary works of the series, giving Wētā Workshop the broadest creative license to interpret the core mythology of the books.

What Do the Recently Revealed Teasers Show?

Although we haven’t seen any gameplay yet, numerous clips and social media posts have provided a wealth of intriguing hints about the game. A short first teaser for the game from last September showed a person working at a wooden desk cluttered with trinkets and plants.

After completing a sketch of a female Hobbit in their notebook, they are drawn away by the sounds of children playing. A gust of wind then reveals the notebook’s contents, including beautiful art of Hobbits, Hobbit holes, farms, and locations in the Shire like Bywater and the Green Dragon Inn.

In March, an animated poster was released, depicting several Hobbits of varying ages engaged in various activities, such as fishing, fruit picking, and butterfly catching. The visuals suggest that foraging, exploration, and resource gathering will be key elements of the game.

We finally got a glimpse of the first gameplay footage a few days ago. The animated image shows a stream flowing under a bridge, surrounded by grassy hills from which Hobbit holes emerge. For now, we haven’t seen any depiction of Orcs descending the hills, which suggests that the game may not include combat.

More importantly, what exactly will we be able to do in the game? Will it be a life simulation, or will it go a step beyond the traditional “cozy” format and include various puzzles and platforming elements? Ultimately, Wētā and Private Division plan to release Tales of the Shire sometime this year for PC and consoles.