The hobbit life simulator in Middle-earth Tales of the Shire has been postponed to a later date. You will be able to play the mix of Stardew Valley and The Lord of the Rings in the spring of 2025.
The developers from Weta Workshop and the publisher Private Division held a detailed presentation of their project, telling about new details of the game and allowing you to play the demo version. However, what they saw did not impress game journalists too much. PC Gamer called Tales of the Shire «a project with missed opportunities», and a GamesRadar journalist noted the so-so graphics, poor life simulation and boring gameplay.
Essentially, Tales of the Shire focuses on farming, arranging your own burrow and preparing a variety of dishes for the holidays. The game has story and side missions, but they often come down to talking to characters. Among the positive aspects, reviewers highlighted the good text and script in places, as well as the complex process of cooking.
As a result, Weta Workshop announced the postponement of the release to March 25, 2025 — probably, the developers decided to finish the game. Tales of the Shire will be released on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.