Tolkien’s Shire has always suited itself well to the cozy game atmosphere. It’s been a long time coming for those who enjoy all things green, but someone has finally decided to try their hand at a cozy Shire game. And it’s not just any ordinary game studio that’s leading the charge here. Tales of the Shire will be delivered directly from New Zealand’s official Lord of the Rings special effects company, Wt Workshop.
As part of the Hobbit Day celebrations, Wt Workshop released a teaser clip in a recent tweet, however, it doesn’t reveal much. It’s a brief and private journaling session with an especially artsy hobbit who’s working up a watercolor of a monotone character in their notebook.
They run outside when they hear lively sounds and join in. The wind whips through the hobbit burrow, flicking through the previous pages of the journal and disclosing more shire secrets.
Though no real gameplay is shown, I’m guessing the journal has some concept art and refers to some of the things we might encounter in the game. If that’s the case, we might see a variety of house types for our hobbies, as well as cute tiny goblin scarecrows and plenty of excellent food.
There’s even a page that may hint at where the developers intend to take the game. Bywater, Ivy Bush, and even the fabled Green Dragon Inn may appear. I’m sure diehard fans will want to try the “only ale for the brave and true,” just as I would after a long day of harvesting turnips (yet another sketch in the notebook).
Wt Workshop will collaborate with publisher Private Division to release the game on PC and console in 2024, allowing us to finally live out our days in peace. Although Tales of the Shire has yet to appear on Steam, you may keep up with the development via Private Division’s official shop page.
The game’s features won’t be fully announced until next year, but at least we can say it’s happening. We, as gentle halflings, will no longer be dragged away on crazy adventures—bothersome things—only to find our home and all its goods auctioned off to our greedy cousins.
