Tales of the Shire is more than Lord of the Rings-branded Stardew Valley, and it fixes one of the genre's biggest problems

GamesSimulationTales of the Shire is more than Lord of the Rings-branded Stardew Valley, and it fixes one of the genre’s biggest problemsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesSimulationTales of the Shire is more than Lord of the Rings-branded Stardew Valley, and it fixes one of the genre’s biggest problemsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Private Division) The most shocking thing aboutTales of the Shireis that it somehow never existed before. The aesthetics of life in JRR Tolkein’s Shire are a perfect match for the vibes of cozy gaming – you know, up until the point where The Lord of the Rings actually happens. After a short hands-on spin with Tales of the Shire duringSummer Game Fest, I came away pleasantly surprised. This isn’t just a Stardew Valley reskin with a licensed gimmick, it’s a game that smartly builds on both the cozy genre and the Middle-earth setting to create something uniquely compelling. It’s got everything you could want from a cozy game, from planting and watering a garden to befriending local townsfolk. There’s a fishing minigame, and cooking, and options to decorate your home. There’s a colorful patch of countryside to explore with plants to forage and a town full of shops and people to meet. It absolutely ticks the genre boxes. Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub. Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub. Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub. Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub. Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub. Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub. A cozy hole in the ground (Image credit: Private Division) But it’s immediately apparent that Tales of the Shire has learned the right lessons from the cozy games that have come before. You can open a menu to track villager locations, and a trail of helpful blue birds will lead you directly to whatever person you’re trying to find. As somebody who always romances Leah in Stardew Valley but can never actually find her when I wanna drop off a gift, this feature sounds like a godsend. The big central gameplay feature here seems to be the cooking system. Each recipe requires certain ingredients, and while some of those will be preset requirements – a certain soup might require a tomato base, for example – others will let you choose anything that fits a category like ‘fish’ or ‘heart vegetable.’ Individual ingredients have attributes like salty or sweet, influencing the overall flavor of the dish. (Image credit: Private Division) On top of that, you get access to cooking stations that let you influence the texture of the meal. So if an ingredient needs to be prepared at the chopping board, how long you spend there moves determines how chunky or smooth its contribution to the overall dish is. Actions like this determine where the meal lands on a sort of texture graph in the corner of the screen, and landing right in a predetermined sweet spot will make the dish a special one with a higher star rating. I spent most of my 30 minutes with Tales of the Shire cooking, and I could’ve spent a lot more doing just that. I barely touched the fishing, the trading, and I didn’t even think to take a look at the hands-on decorating system that looks so impressive in the gameplay footage I’ve seen. But that brief time with the game was enough to convince me that this could be something special, smartly blending familiar cozy game mechanics, smart upgrades of those systems, and a delightful delve into a beloved setting. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more If you’re looking for moregames like Stardew Valley, you know where to click. 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“A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”