Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Gameis the first cozy game set in the world ofThe Lord of the Rings. Players will be able to create a hobbit and take up residence in a hobbit hole in the Shire settlement of Bywater. Rather than leaving the Shire to go on an adventure, theTales of the Shire’s adventure will instead take place in the Shire itself.
There are a number of activities that have been confirmed forTales of the Shire, including cooking, gardening, fishing, a social system, and throwing dinner parties. Some of these activities, such as cooking and gardening, have become essentials for cozy games. There are other activities thatTales of the Shirecould include, some that are cozy game staples, while others areunique toThe Lord of the Ringsand would make sense in Middle-earth and the Shire.
Tales of the Shire Needs Its Own Festivals
Birthday Parties
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringopens with Bilbo’s 111th birthday, which is celebrated with a massive party.Tales of the Shireshould allow players to set their hobbit’s birthday, and to be able to throw birthday parties for their special day. Birthday parties could be integrated withTales of the Shire’s quest system, where a quest could start a few days before the party and require characters to complete various tasks to prepare for it, such as organizing a venue, baking a cake, and inviting guests.
Holidays
Holiday festivals feature in cozy games such asStardew ValleyandFields of Mistria, and are a great opportunity to buy unique items and gifts. Festivals are often centered on the seasons, which aligns perfectly withTales of the Shire’s emphasis on nature. Festivals could include fireworks for the new year, snow festivals, autumn harvest festivals, and focus on different dishes and ingredients for that particular season.
Bringing Cozy Activities to Tales of the Shire
Crafting
Crafting would be the perfect match forTales of the Shire’s robust gridless decoration system. Players could potentially unlock new crafting schematics by befriending NPCs around Bywater to create new furniture, flooring, outdoor furniture, and decorating styles. Another interesting item to craft would be fireworks, which could be unlocked through a friendship with Gandalf and at higher crafting levels.
Foraging for Artifacts
Foraging, collecting, and exploring form a part of many cozy games, and a collection system inTales of the Shirewould go a long way. While it doesn’t necessarily need a museum likeFields of Mistria, a place in the home where players can display their collections would be a great way to decorate a part of the home. Items to be collected could include references toThe Lord of the Rings, such as replicas of Gondor and Rohan’s shields and armor, Elven weapons from millennia ago, and even recipes from regions across Middle-Earth, such as lembas.
Book Collecting
Books and stories form an important part of hobbit culture, and many cozy games include a collecting feature. Books would be a perfect item to collect, as they could simultaneously become decorations for a home library and provide lore about Bywater, hobbit culture, and Middle-earth as a whole. Video games often use in-game books to expand on their lore and, with the robust lore and mythology inThe Lord of the Rings, including books would be a seamless way to update players onThe Lord of the Rings’lore without having characters unnaturally explaining it to them.
