Tales of the Shire, an upcoming simulation game set in the world ofThe Lord of the Rings, had a short early access period last year. While it was met with mixed reviews from simulation gamers and critics alike, the early access period did give players a chance to spend time with some keyTales of the Shirefeatures.
Many of those features inTales of the Shireare staples of the life sim genre, and players will need to master things like collecting, farming, cooking, fishing, and more. The presence of these features suggests that the title is taking a great deal of inspiration from other simulation games, and it’s thus logical to assume thatTales of the Shirewill also include seasonal events that are similar to what appears in other games in the genre.
Tales of the Shire Will Likely Celebrate Real-World Holidays
The most obvious seasonal events that will probably be part ofTales of the Shireare those that are aligned with real-world holidays. For example, there could be a winter event with a gift-giving element that is in line with winter holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza.Tales of the Shiremay call this holiday Yule, asHobbits canonically celebrate Yulein the Tolkienverse. While Yule is a real-world holiday that is often conflated with Christmas,Tales of the Shirewould almost certainly focus on the Shire calendar’s version of Yule, and the Hobbit traditions connected to it.
In place of a Halloween celebration, a harvest festival could be a great option forTales of the Shire. After all, the game places heavy emphasis on farming, gathering, and cooking gameplay, as has been made clear by the early access period and pre-release press material. With food acting as such a central component of bothTales of the Shireand of the lives of Hobbits, it would make perfect sense for some sort of harvest festival to take place. Even if this festival is not explicitly tied to Halloween,Tales of the Shirecould appeal to players who love that holiday by adding new costumes that lean into thespooky side ofLord of the Ringsto the Premium Shop.
Tales of the Shire Should Canonize Tolkien Holidays
There are a few holidays in the Tolkienverse that are not explicitly tied to any real-world celebrations but could inspire events inTales of the Shire. September 22, for instance, is known to fans as Hobbit Day, and it is thebirthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. While Frodo is unlikely to appear inTales of the Shire, as it is set in the time period betweenThe Hobbitand theLord of the Ringstrilogy, some sort of seasonal event that takes place around Hobbit Day would certainly be a fun addition.
There is also the three-day period of theLithedaysin midsummer, which would be the perfect excuse for a firework-themed event that is inspired by Gandalf’s epic firework displays. With many real-world holidays occurring at the end of the calendar year, it is important thatTales of the Shirefinds an explanation for a summer celebration, and the Lithedays provide exactly that. Gameplay for this event could include gathering items to be used in the crafting of fireworks, and the specific items that a player uses could correspond to the colors of the fireworks themselves.
After several setbacks,Tales of the Shire’s releaseis now set for July 29. Until that release date arrives, prospective players will just have to keep imagining what adventures and events wait for them inTales of the Shire.
