Summary
The creative director behindTales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Gamehas offered more insight into how relationships and meals will work in the upcoming life sim. The title has a lot to live up to, not only because of its massively popular source material, but because of the thriving cozy game scene, in which fan-favorite titles likeStardew ValleyandAnimal Crossinghave set a high bar. Some new details from the team behind the game show howTales of the Shireintends to meet these lofty expectations.
It hasn’t been an easy road for the title’s developers. Following its initial 2023 announcement,Tales of the Shirewas delayed twice, first from 2024 to March 2025, and then from March to July. During that time, the game has also had to survive layoffs and organizational changes as its studio, Private Division, moved from Take-Two to a new parent company run by ex-Annapurna Interactive staff. Despite those problems,Tales of the Shirecurrently has a July 29 release date in sight, and as that day approaches, Private Division is revealing more of what fans can expect from the title.
Creative Director Stephen LambertdetailedTales of the Shire’s gameplay in a conversation with PlayStationon March 25, which, appropriately, is Tolkien Reading Day. During that discussion, Lambert said that “much of the game is about community,” and explained how meeting new characters and helping them with their personal goals and arcs is a central part of the story and gameplay. However, that doesn’t mean players need to rush into building relationships with NPCs. Lambert says every character thread will expand the story and open new options to players, but users can approach these conversations and quests at their own pace. That balance of story depth and pacing may be good news for fans hopingTales of the Shirecan make up for other recentLOTRgames, which many have found lackluster.
Community and Meals Take Center Stage in Tales of the Shire
Part of building these relationships with members of the community relates to the cooking and sharing of meals. Devs had previouslydescribedTales of the Shireas a love letter to Middle-Earth, so it should come as no surprise that the Hobbits' love of food plays a big role in the game. Lambert explained how making and presenting meals that meet different NPCs' unique tastes will be crucial to forming stronger relationships with them. As part of that, the cooking process is fairly involved. Players will need to find recipes, shop, grow, or forage for ingredients, add the right amount of each ingredient, season it properly, and even stir dishes for the right amount of time.
The payoff of such attention to detail should be worth the effort. According to Lambert, one of the game’s 3D artists used to work as a chef, so all the finished food models should look impressive, impact on in-game relationships aside. WhileTales of the Shiremay no longer be coming to Netflix, players on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch have a lot to look forward to this summer if they love food and community-centered gameplay.
