Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings™ Game

I normally like slow, steady with a bit of grinding on the side, but this game is like not for me which is sad cuz i kinda vibe with it. Would not recommend it for 30+ euros.

Absolutely loved this game! I wasn't sure at first given some negative reviews I had read in non-Steam sources but the Steam reviews were very positive and it looked like just the game I wasn't looking for! It's relaxing, faithful to the source material, and a lot of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the Gardening and Cooking mechanics (especially as Cooking expanded to include more options at the Cooking Station). Foraging and Fishing were ok - sometimes Fishing felt more like a grind than other skill areas but I really enjoyed the details on which fish can be caught where, in what season, in what weather, and at what time. Beyond that, the sheer and mind-boggling variety of plants to grow, fish to catch, food to forage, and recipes to cook kept me engaged and interested well beyond completing the basic game. My *only* complaint was the lack of ale to drink and pipeweed to smoke! Though the game mentions getting a pint of ale at the Green Dragon, there is nowhere in the Green Dragon or anywhere else where you can drink a pint of ale or light up a pipe for a smoke! Though possibly related to Ratings and making the game available for a younger audience, I felt like that oversight really left some big parts of Hobbit culture out of the game. In addition to drinking ale and smoking a pipe, I would have like to have seen more casual side activities like being able to interact with all of the furniture and decorations (and there is A LOT!) as well as the food you make (beyond planned shared meals). I would like to be able to eat something I make by myself or sit down and play with a boardgame or a read a book in front of my fire. Also, being able to throw a party for a large number of Hobbits, not unlike Sims, would be a really awesome feature. I hope there are expansions/DLC planned for Tales of the Shire!

Why release a game and not optimize it...

Great cozy game! I beat it but I feel like it could of been a whole lot more and it feels like they ran out of time. I hope they release some DLC that more fully fleshes it out. Although there is room for improvement it is still a really fun game especially if you are a fan on LOTR and cozy games.

The game runs poorly and badly needs optimisation. While it has the makings of a cosy title and makes decent use of the LOTR setting, the content itself fails to be captivating. It has the right ingredients, but lacks the heart and engaging mechanics needed to make it truly enjoyable. As it stands, I can’t recommend it.

I think this is a somewhat divisive game. I suspect some people will like it for what it is, but it's just not very good even for that. There are a few minor points of praise, primarily I do like the cooking minigame. Which is appropriate because it's a primary gameplay element. After that, however, there's just not much to recommend and honestly the game comes off a pretty undercooked. Consider for a moment what this game competes against, it's a cozy game. But how does it stack up to something like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley? It doesn't. It's too limited on content. The primary gameplay is just cooking meals. You make friends by sharing food and repeat. Sure, to accomplish that you have to gather ingredients which adds fishing, shopping and gardening but what do you get for it? And that's where the rub is: not much. Things don't really open up, tasks don't really evolve much, and the game is pretty dang short. Once you've finished the main story, what's keeping you playing? Plus, the rewards for actually befriending people is pretty paltry overall. I'd love to be like, "It's because they don't give you stuff." But it's because they have no personality, whether they are friends with you or not does little to change their personality. Do you think they'll ask *you* to lunch sometime? Keep dreaming. For a select few perhaps there's some meat on these bones, but I would say the game is lazy. Outside of cooking, everything else you've done before. Water crops and harvest. Wait on some fish and pull the rod. Search through the woods for respawning ingredients. Things like decorating your house or decorating your hobbit with new clothes are too conservative to make a splash. Will you wear a pink blouse or a *white* one? I mean, hell, your house is *free* and it unlocks with the story. I get the game isn't about overcoming great challenges, but the game doesn't even respect your engagement. It has nothing to give you and only asks for you to follow directions in return. Thus, I can't really recommend it unless the idea of playing as a custom hobbit matters more than playing an interesting game.

Lovely little game, perfect for enjoying at your own pace, plenty to do and see without feeling too repetitive.