After nearly two years of development, Fictions, Inc. and Wētā Workshop have finally released the latest game based on J. R. R. Tolkien’sThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings, 2025’sTales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game. A life simulation game,Tales of the Shirehas players create their own Hobbit as they complete tasks such as farming, fishing, and decorating Hobbit-holes in the emerging Hobbiton village of Bywater. Life simulation games have become an increasingly popular genre within the gaming medium in recent years with games such asStardew Valley,Animal Crossing: New Horizons, andHello Kitty Island Adventure, but for many reviewers,Tales of the Shirefails to meet expectations.
Tales of the Shire Reviews
Game Rant’s own Cameron Swan gaveTales of the Shirea 7/10 for how it accurately embraces a Hobbit lifestyle, but notes that it’s held back by “prominent graphical shortcomings”. Swan specifically points out howTales of the Shire’s simplistic gameplay loopof fishing, gardening, foraging, and cooking is “far from groundbreaking,” but is appropriate for the common, laid-back Hobbit lifestyle. WhileTales of the Shiremay not be action-packed or varied in gameplay asMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, it does feature a fewLord of the Ringscharacters and references that will reward long-time Tolkien fans. Swan claimed that Tolkien fans would enjoy immersing themselves in the life of Bywater, but those who aren’t fans of Tolkien’s work may easily find better life simulation alternatives.
IGN’s Travis Northup expressed similar views onTales of the Shire, praising the Hobbit-focused game’s comical writing and cooking mechanics but criticizing it for the lack of voice acting and sound effects, especially during crowded dialogue sequences. However, Northup also criticizedTales of the Shire’s small mapand monotonous gameplay mechanics, claiming the game is filled with “tiresome grinding” and a lack of depth, particularly with restrictions on home personalization and functionality. Northup concluded his IGN review ofTales of the Shireby calling it the “Gríma Wormtongue of games” and granting it a Bad rating of 4/10.
Other gaming outlets have similarly givenTales of the Shirepoor to mixed reviews. For instance, Nintendo Life’s Kate Gray gaveShirea Poor 4/10 rating for having fun cooking and gardening mechanics but featuring plenty of immersion-breaking bugs, uninteresting residents, and low-resolution graphics. PC Gamer’s Christopher Livingston gaveTales of the Shirea 67/100 rating for its great cooking and foraging systems, but claimed the game was held back by its lack of gameplay variety to keep players entertained. Gamespot’s Jessica Cogswell gaveTales of the Shirea Poor 4/10 rating for its charming cooking mechanic and “cheeky” dialogue, but claimed thatTales of the Shire’s story, characters, and the town of Bywater were overall forgettable.The game has an overall score of 59 on Metacritic.
Tales of the Shire Compared to Other Life-Sim Games
WhenTales of the Shirewas first formally announced in 2023, many Tolkien fans were excited by the concept of a life simulation game centered around the life of Hobbits. However,Tales of the Shirefailed to launch to the best of its potential for many reviewers, especially compared to many previous life simulation titles. For example, Game Rant’s Sarah Fields gave 2020’sAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsa 9/10 for its refinement of traditionalAnimal Crossinggameplay, expansion of town customization, and improved character customization options. Meanwhile, Game Rant’s Justin Skiles claimed that2016’sStardew Valleyis still worth playing today for its high replay value and variety with its different types of farms, romance options, and frequent updates. Polygon’s Carli Velocci praisedStardew Valleyfor how the game “expertly explores the connection that someone can have with their environment, their work and the people around them.”
Compared toTales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, most gaming outlets gave other life simulation games far more favorable reviews. For example, IGN’s Shailyn Cotten gave 2023’sHello Kitty Island Adventurea 6/10 for its intuitive crafting mechanics and fun character design, with it held back primarily by its tedious gifting gameplay loop. Other reviews for the Sanrio title were even more favorable, as its reviews overall were significantly better thanTales of the Shire. Based on this significant disparity in scores, it seems most cozy game fans would have preferred ifTales of the Shirehad more time and room to develop, potentially expanding its gameplay variety to better enthrall players. While there are certainly things to enjoy about the game, it does seem to be a cut below other popular titles from the same genre.
