The moment cozy gaming and Lord of the Rings fans have been waiting for has arrived, as we have a trailer for Tales of the Shire. This upcoming game combines Tolkien lore with the cozy genre, and now we’ve got a better idea of what it will look like.
After much leadup, @talesoftheshire has finally shared the game’s highly anticipated first full trailer via X.
The trailer for Tales of the Shire features a delightful voiceover by a familiar voice that can be none other than Gandalf. He tells us that while there are many great adventure stories about dark times in Middle Earth, this tale is a little different. Different presumably because, unlike the fight to destroy the One Ring, this game is all about the comforts of daily hobbit life at home.Â
The trailer is nearly two minutes long and gives us an adorable look at life in the Shire. Naturally, it includes many staples of the cozy genre, like fishing, farming, making friends with NPCs, and cooking. If you’ve dreamt of living on the Shire cultivating your very own po-tay-toes, this game might just deliver. In addition to outdoor adventures, we’ll be able to decorate our very own hobbit holes.
A sequence with pretty deliberate shifts in the colors of leaves on the trees seems to indicate that there will also be a seasonal element to the game familiar to many Stardew Valley farmers.
Related: How Many Lord of the Rings Movies Are There?
Most initial reactions from fans are positive, with many excited notes on just how cute the game looks. A few comments about the Tales of the Shire trailer do mention that the game animation looks a bit dated, resembling styles from previous console generations rather than a modern look.
Overall, the desire for a crossover between Tolkien lore and the comfort gaming genre is strong, and many gamers are eager to see more about this upcoming game. One response from @peeceful even quotes our dear old Bilbo Baggins, saying that once Tales of the Shire comes out, “We don’t want any more visitors, well-wishers, or distant relations!”
Tales of the Shire is set to release for PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox sometime this year, though the exact release date still hasn’t been announced. Here’s hoping it’ll be around in time for us all to hunker down for the colder months in our virtual Hobbit-holes.
