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Game
Game2025
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings™ Game
Developer Wētā Workshop
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is a life simulation video game developed by Wētā Workshop and published by Private Division for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S on 29 July 2025. A version for Nintendo Switch 2 was released on 25 March 2026. Based on the legendarium created by J. R. R. Tolkien, the game takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
366 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
70
Fresh
184 positive · 80 negative
95% range 64–75%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 184 | 80 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 29 | 7 | 57 |
| Mastodon * | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
2,362 of 2,891 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
70% recommend · 177 yes, 75 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 252 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (3,128 of 3,835 positive).
Many players find the game cozy and immersive, praising its hobbit-life fantasy. [1][2][3] Some reviewers criticize bugs, lack of content, and missing features like pipe-smoking. [4][5][6] A few players note the game becomes repetitive and grindy after the short story. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
🌿 Tales of the Shire🌿 General: I cannot explain how badly I wanted to love this game. Lord of the Rings is not just another franchise to me. It is one of the great, eternal loves of my life: a world I have returned to whenever I needed it, one of my favorite fandoms ever. The Shire has always represented warmth, safety and cozyness for me, so I was clearly VERY excited for this game. A cozy life simulation set …
- [1]
So, I really like this game. It's fun, it's cute, and it's a nice little way to spend some time if you're not interested in focusing on a super in-depth story. There is a story, of course, but you're free to do whatever you'd like until you want to progress. Honestly, this game is exactly what I wanted. It is literally you being a hobbit in the Shire. I hear/see a lot of comments about this being fetch-questy... …
- [2]
I think the most pivotal thing to keep in mind with this game is that not every Hobbit was Frodo and Sam. Most of them didn't go off on epic adventures to Rivendell and fight Nazgul. They lived a life as this game depicts, a slow, cozy existence that values food and community. If you want to be Aragorn slashing through hordes of orcs, this game isn't for you. If you want to delve deep into the mines of Moria, this …
- [3]
I had such a cozy time with Tales of the Shire ♡ It’s a simple, laid-back game where you settle into life as a Hobbit in Bywater and spend your days farming, fishing, foraging, cooking, decorating your home and getting to know everyone around town. The scenery is also really beautiful, and I loved watching Bywater change as the seasons passed (especially autumn and spring, everything looked sooo beautiful!). I do …
- [4]
What I like: (1) Feels like I'm a hobbit. (2) Looks like the Shire. (3) Very cozy. What I don't like: (1) Bugs (allll the time) when I'm decorating/gardening that freeze my game and remain bugged when I close and reload so that I have to go back to a prior load, making me constantly save. (2) Can't smoke or drink, can't grow pipeweed or brew ale. (FR they dropped the ball on this one) (3) Devs have dropped support …
Summarised from 34 of the 334 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings™ Game talk about cozy atmosphere and beautiful scenery; those who didn't talk about bugs and glitches, especially in decorating. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Tales of the Shire received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received weak approval, being recommended by only 25% of critics.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 366 · most liked firstit’s that time! #WhatAGameDevLooksLike I’m Calliope, prev lead producer at Wētā Workshop on Tales of the Shire 🍀 👉 now full time Platform Director at GYLD, & part time advisor/cozy game expert/ marketing/strategy @dragonsnacksgames.bsky.social i’m into history, cozy, and spooky!♥️ pic: gdc2025
neutral · AI labelView post →🌿 Tales of the Shire🌿 General: I cannot explain how badly I wanted to love this game. Lord of the Rings is not just another franchise to me. It is one of the great, eternal loves of my life: a world I have returned to whenever I needed it, one of my favorite fandoms ever. The Shire has always represented warmth, safety and cozyness for me, so I was clearly VERY excited for this game. A cozy life simulation set there should have been everything I ever wanted.. That is exactly why…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Villager gifted furniture is disappearing from my inventory. I submitted a ticket and got a response right away that devs are aware of the bug but there were no plans to fix it. There are several other bugs but that one was the worst for me. So just something to keep in mind if youre thinking of trying it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wish this game was more interactive. It talks about life as a Hobbit, but you can't actually live it. There are no voices, not even for Gandalf. Just weird sighs. No singing, dancing, drinking, or pipe-smoking in a hobbit game? You can't buy anything at the Green Dragon, you can barely speak with NPCs (most just stand with awkward speech bubbles and glitch out), limited seasonal crops, can't sit on any chair, and you can't eat anything unless its at a meal party, I'm the most starved…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We're officially a week away from the release of Tales Of The Shire! 💗 Been looking forward to this game for a while and will hopefully be picking it up to play alongside Rebirth as my ongoing cozy game!
positive · AI labelView post →So, I really like this game. It's fun, it's cute, and it's a nice little way to spend some time if you're not interested in focusing on a super in-depth story. There is a story, of course, but you're free to do whatever you'd like until you want to progress. Honestly, this game is exactly what I wanted. It is literally you being a hobbit in the Shire. I hear/see a lot of comments about this being fetch-questy... Frankly, it is. You're playing as a hobbit... What do you expect? Some grand…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ahh, at long last. A documentary on the varying strands of pipe weed and their effect on the Shire’s market economy! Finally I can realize my lifelong dream of living in a hole in the ground. But not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: rather a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Missed opportunity from the devs for not releasing a day 1 patch in which Saruman shows up with his…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →despite the fun i had with it, the negative aspects unfortunately outweigh the positives for me. it is far too overpriced for the amount of content it offers. the main story is finished very quickly, and afterwards you’re left with the same repetitive loop: gathering/fishing, cooking, and inviting people over to level up friendships. yes, leveling friendships unlocks additional small side quests, but those are always completed very quickly aswell and feel empty on top. if the main story…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was all the rage when it was announced: a cosy game with the best theme ever, what could go wrong. Sadly, this game only has that publicity and the LoTR theme going for it. I honestly feel sad to write this review as I had high hopes for this. Lord of the rings meets animal crossing in a cute cosy game? I'M SAT! And I was, for a while... but there is no nuance and game-play gets tedious after 10-ish hours of play. Let's start from the beginning. YOU are a hobbit that moves to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tales of the Shire is a delightfully cozy game for anyone who ever wanted to live the Hobbit Life. Simple mechanics with farming game elements. Humorous dialogue and a heartwarming story. Lovely little lore drops from the LOTR world. This game is a gem, I can't wait to play more 💚
positive · AI labelView post →I have some news - last Friday marked the end of an incredible personal chapter, and my journey’s close on Tales of the Shire. Unfortunately, my role as Lead Game Producer at Wētā Workshop was disestablished last month.
neutral · AI labelView post →Playtime: 27.3 hrs Concise version: The game is really cute, and has cute character, but it is a very simple cozy game, so if that isn't what you're looking for this won't be for you. This game doesn't offer anything really unique to games of this space, but it lacks a ton of features when compared to other cozy games at similar price points. I wanted to love this game, but unfortunately I just don't. It had so much potential. The art style is really cute, the characters are fun and have…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played the hell out of this game. The loop is almost solid, but the game around it is buggy in ways that suggest the devs were not given enough time or money. The first 10 hours of the game are pretty well bug tested, but the further in you get (and the more time you invest to unlock checks), the more the bugs and bits of friction seem to become glaring. The pantry inventory is a pillar of the game, and it starts acting weird if I transfer 2 stacks of items from Pantry to Backpack -- like…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excited to stream Tales of the Shire tonight and see what it’s all about! I’m a huge cozy game enjoyer and this one has been getting a ton of buzz. Hope they allow fairies in the shire 🤭🧚🏼♀️
positive · AI labelView post →I 100% the game and unfortunately it was NOT worth it at all, sadly this game is pretty disappointing. Pros and cons are down below) Check out my video here if you want a more in-depth analysis of the game: https://youtu.be/Z19zZWLur9g What I liked: 1. The core idea is innovative and fun! The cooking mechanic (even though it's confusing at first) is the best part about this game. It's fun trying to hit the perfect tender / crispy and smooth / chunky spot for the perfect dish using different…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sad to hear Tales of the Shire has been delayed once more. I hope the further delay will mean the game will have an online multiplayer option becuase I’d love to be able to visit my friends in-game. 🥺
neutral · AI labelView post →(fr this time) Hey, I’m Calliope! I’m a game artist by trade who evolved into a creative producer — i’ve done audio, marketing, production, 3D art and more on games! I produced Tales of the Shire and BFF among others, and love all things cozy, spooky, and a bit gay. This is #WhatAGameDevLooksLike
neutral · AI labelView post →I was able to play Tales of the Shire early (yesterday) — I do enjoy it but it didn’t live up to my expectations. A game that could’ve been life-changing ended up pretty “meh” with buggy gameplay, monotonous tasks, and a 20-minute day-cycle that cuts short any adventures or exploration. 6/10.
negative · AI labelView post →Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game delayed to July 29th, 2025 (UPDATE): The hobbits are going to Switch 🕹️
neutral · AI labelView post →What I like: (1) Feels like I'm a hobbit. (2) Looks like the Shire. (3) Very cozy. What I don't like: (1) Bugs (allll the time) when I'm decorating/gardening that freeze my game and remain bugged when I close and reload so that I have to go back to a prior load, making me constantly save. (2) Can't smoke or drink, can't grow pipeweed or brew ale. (FR they dropped the ball on this one) (3) Devs have dropped support already, game's only been out since 2024. That being said, it's fun.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yeah I’m not listening to any IGN game review on cozy games. I’ll wait until ACTUAL cozy gamers start making their reviews before I write off Tales of the Shire.
neutral · AI labelView post →It felt like an unfinished game. it's too easy to just blast through the main mission without doing any of the relationship building with characters which makes the game too fast. The winter season was garbage; it looked like they just grey scaled the screen instead of animating real snow. Earning money to decorate or expand the garden is painfully tedious. It had potential, they should have added a lot more to it (like pets at least) and I really tried to play it a lot to give it a fair go but…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No major Updates since Release and no Update since October at all. Game felt a little dead in the beginning but i hoped for nice new contet. Guess the game not only felt dead, in fact the game is dead.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why isn't it the end of July yet, all a girl is hanging for is Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game
positive · AI labelView post →Cute game but really not worth the price. I'd definitely wait to get it on sale.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game has been delayed to July 29, 2025 www.dekudeals.com/items/tales-...
neutral · AI labelView post →I have so many thoughts but Tales of the Shire is an absolute delight. All I’m missing are some homemade taters and tea to go with this cosy game!!
positive · AI labelView post →'Tales of the Shire' feels like a rushed attempt to capitalize on Disney Dreamlight Valley's success. While the core loop is familiar—decorate, farm, befriend villagers—the execution is a crappy mess. The mechanics feel unpolished, and the village system lacks the flexibility that makes games like this engaging. For a game set in Middle-earth, it's very disappointing how restrictive and lifeless the world feels. It only makes me hate hobbits even more. The only plus is the character creator.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Oh my gosh you know what I can't wait for? Tales of the Shire. I am so excited for that game to come out.
positive · AI labelView post →I've put in about 11 hours in to this game before writing this review. And so far I'm really enjoying it! This really pushes my mindset to "slow down, enjoy the view" more than any game before. GOOD: - The hobbit hole customization is great and I love being able to really make things feel "lived in" or natural. I do wish there was even more customization, but hopefully more will come out! - They did cooking so right! I love the ability to really mess with how the recipe comes together with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let's be real, you bought this game because of the IP and you desperately want it to be good, but its just not. Its lacking in everything you wish it had, from good character customization, to engaging dialogue, furnishing, crafting questlines, and more. It would have been a great game had it come out 15-20 years ago, but it didn't, and being set in the Hobbit universe or being made by Tolkien doesn't make it good.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The only thing good about this game is the setting. Lots of repetition and fetch quests. For a game about making food to give to friends, the food prep was over simplified and the relationships felt flat.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Those playing Tales of the Shire, how is the game so far? I have not looked at reviews 🥺
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy July! Should be another banger month for gaming. 4 games I'm looking forward to the most, Shadow Labyrinth, Tales of the Shire, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, and an easy GOTY contender in Donkey Kong Bananza. I think DK is going to be a very special game. Can't wait.
positive · AI labelView post →They're coming out with a cozy Hobbit video game called Tales of the Shire. I think one in every 100,000 players should get screwed and have to go on an extraordinary adventure instead of experiencing a life of farming and pipe smoking.
negative · AI labelView post →Tales of the Shire 🍽️🥧 Now Releasing July 29th #lotr #talesoftheshire #tots #cozygamenews
neutral · AI labelView post →Tales of the Shire won the diverse delight award at the NZ game awards (known lovingly as The Pavs) this weekend 🥹 I got home happy, exhausted, and feeling a bit bittersweet about it all. (TW: I talk about hate and GG in this vid)
positive · AI labelView post →Honestly I love the concept and who doesn't? cute hobbits doing cute hobbit things. pretty well executed except for some very obvious glaring problems that will unfortunately never be fixed because this game has essentially been dropped as far as support goes. clunky concepts that could have been worked on, broken achievements and the framerate can be miserable. I really wish they had kept up with it because it could have been the hobbit animal crossing but in its current state I do not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve been playing Tales of the Shire this weekend - it has a lot of charm and I will keep chipping away at it, but the grind (walk - gather - walk - cook - walk) is distracting from the fun. Read more below, and join me for a livestream play/chat session tomorrow (Tuesday) on YouTube.
neutral · AI labelView post →unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this game. it was slow from the jump and it felt torturous and grindy to progress, so I gave up. while the aesthetics are lovely, I'd pass on this due to gameplay.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think the most pivotal thing to keep in mind with this game is that not every Hobbit was Frodo and Sam. Most of them didn't go off on epic adventures to Rivendell and fight Nazgul. They lived a life as this game depicts, a slow, cozy existence that values food and community. If you want to be Aragorn slashing through hordes of orcs, this game isn't for you. If you want to delve deep into the mines of Moria, this game isn't for you. If you want to snipe people as an Elven Archer, this game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tales of the Shire is a complicated game to review. It feels like the game got really close to being finished, but then it was released, and now it's frozen in a sort of semi-unfinished state forever. Which is a tragedy, really, because this game has a lot going for it. If you're into cozy games, this one is a treat, as cozy as it gets. And if you're a LotR fan, you'll love the story easter eggs and the chance to visit Bywater. For me, a lover of cozy games who has always wanted to live as a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok, here we go. Pros: The cooking reminds me of Cooking Mama. I like being able to make different flavors for the same dish. I LOVE the decor UI. It was very satisfying to put very small object into shelves. The items are very tight and everything works well. I honestly wish this type of decor editing was in other games. So calm it's boring. (Its a good thing I guess. ) I don't need to use my head very much when playing this game. If it had less grind, it would be a childrens game.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a lovely little cozy game, but I do wish I could be invited to meals sometimes instead of being the only one cooking them
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For context or perspective, I would give the Gollum game a 3/10 and those three points were really only because of the lore accuracy. Tales of the Shire is much more enjoyable than the Gollum game, which was an unfortunate disaster.
positive · AI labelView post →I’m so thrilled to be able to finally share a glimpse of what i’ve been producing for the last 2 years! World, meet Tales of the Shire 💚 a cosy LOTR game set in Middle-earth. youtu.be/S8X3psFrQd4?...
neutral · AI labelView post →I absolutely LOVE this game. I really do hope they will be releasing ore content as this game is a DREAM!!! I love it soo much!!!! it makes me soo relaxed and happy. I love what they have done so far and it is soo COZY!!! I would love for more things to be interactable, such as being able to sit on the furnishings, and being able to eat and drink a brew at the Green Dragon. Those little things make a BIG difference in my opinion. I will be heartbroken if there will be no more content created…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It feels like a demo that never ends. The "tales" are extremely short, quests from the club boards are boring and get repetitive quickly, the rewards you get also repeat so there isn't much of a point to doing anything. I think either the map is too small or there isn't enough to do in the small area you get, so it just ends up feeling barren and empty. You will see everything there is to offer in the first 20 hours. If you like or want something that allows you to not think and just click…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →rather boring, disappointing you cant interact with furniture (you can just sit on the floor) its not voice acted and not much to do
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I reviewed Tales of the Shire and it is just fine. There is charm and love in here and the narrative approach to food as a means to community is extremely needed. But some parts make it feel like its stuck in the past with its simple systems, lack of voice acting and co-op. My review 👇🏾
neutral · AI labelView post →Well... after completing every achievement in the game, which was very boring at the end because of the lack of depth and things to do, I can wholeheartedly say this game is a disappointment. I have to clarify that this feeling comes from the waiting and anticipation I had for this game. Overall, there was no challenge, hence no desire to come back to it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a lord of the rings fan i was happy an excited to play this game. It has a lot of promise and i see this as an excellent game for kids. However it becomes very boring and repetitive very quickly. there is little to do and not much meat on the bone of this game. The game is pretty much dinner date simulator. You forage for ingredients, fish and sell them to get seeds and furniture. You make diner date plans with villagers to increase frienship with them, you try and make them meals to their…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lord of the Rings game Tales of the Shire delayed yet again www.eurogamer.net/tales-of-the...
neutral · AI labelView post →So many people hated on this game before they even played it whilst I've been sitting here for hours, foraging, decorating, making friends, and living my best hobbit life. It's such a chill cosy game #talesoftheshire #cosygaming
positive · AI labelView post →I have 100% completed this game - I even purchased all the items. I would recommend it but not before preparing the person for what they are getting themselves into. The truth is that the story of the game is a drop of water in the bucket - of all the hours I sunk into this game only maybe an hour or two was actual 'story' gameplay. The rest has been completing collections, maxing out relationships and getting achievements. The game is grindy and about halfway through getting the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wish I could talk to each and every single one of the developers, artists, and anyone who had a hand in the making of this. This game was made with people like me in mind. I LOVE this game. Every thing in it. I have not stopped playing this and every moment I go through I just, love it, it feels so wonderful. I don't have the words for how magical this space is for me. My favorite FAVORITE thing is watching my pantry fill up. This is what I've been wanting for eons. I love this so much.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game delayed to July 29.
neutral · AI labelView post →It's not really a good farming game in its genre; there are much better ones. Even if the hobbit theme might seem nice on paper, it's purely decorative and doesn't make up for the boring gameplay.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too often are the quests walking from one side of the map, having a conversation, then returning to the other side of the map, have a convo then again go back to the other side. Not what I consider enjoyable, cooking, foraging and fishing was fun but the main part of the game in the quests is "go see this person" there's no integration with any of the mechanics in the game. Frustrating.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Noodle (aka Mozart) loves to watch “Tales of the Shire” gameplay.
neutral · AI labelView post →
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