Private Division and Wētā Workshop has announced that Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game will launch on 25th March on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam and Netflix Games. This new title takes players to J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle-earth to live a nice quiet life as a hobbit in the Shire.
In Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game, players will be able to put their feet up and relax in the beautiful growing community of Bywater as one of those friendly, furry footed (and not pesky) Hobbits. Players will begin by creating their own unique Hobbit avatar and choosing from a number of Hobbit-specific features, including foot-hair styles and also select a personality for them to fully bring them to life.
Bywater is a small community of friendly Hobbits who will require the player’s help in putting their community on the Shire’s map as an official village. To do so, players will need to develop relationships with other residents and keep them happy, the best way of doing this with a Hobbit is by a nice warm meal. Each meal has various steps that must be carried out, just like real-life cooking, and ingredients need to be gathered, whether by fishing or foraging.
Players will start with their own little Hobbit home and from there expand their space and increase their food supplies through activities such as fishing, foraging, gardening and trading with your neighbours. Some neighbours run little shops, including Old Noakes who will sell the fish he catches, and building a good relationship with him will also unlock some secret fishing spots.
“Wētā Workshop has been trusted with J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth universe for more than 25 years, and over that time we have built up a deep understanding of the lore and a real love of Middle-earth that flows through our creative work across screen, collectibles and now, our cosy sims games,” said Richard Taylor, Co-founder and CEO at Wētā Workshop. “Tales of the Shire allows us to inspire our talents in an entirely new medium and, ultimately, create this game for people just like us – fans of The Lord of the Rings. This is a beautiful way that players who are looking for a quieter, more peaceful time can discover this in a less explored corner of this universe”.
Take a break from the fighting and adventure in Middle-earth and relax in the warmth of the Shire in Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game, coming next March to PC and consoles.