Tales of the Shire launched a few months back to some pretty rough reviews. I didn’t play the game on launch, but when I checked the Steam ratings recently, it had actually bounced back to being “Very Positive.” That got me thinking: was the game genuinely not good or did people originally not have the correct expectations?
As someone who absolutely loves cozy games (obviously) and life sims, I had to check it out for myself. I went in knowing about the complaints and kept my expectations realistic. I wanted to give it a fair shot.
But honestly?
It’s just not a well-made game.
Watch My Video Review Of Tales of the Shire
What It Was Sold As
Tales of the Shire was sold to us as a cozy life sim in the Lord of the Rings universe. The trailers showed gorgeous hobbit holes you could decorate, promised meaningful relationships with townsfolk, and featured those beautiful rolling hills of the Shire. We were promised the full hobbit experience. Not to mention the premise of the game had the potential to bridge the gap between “cozy gamers” and maybe more serious LOTR gamers.
What It Actually Is
A cooking simulator. With hobbits.
And that’s not automatically a bad thing. But when cooking is like 70% of your entire gameplay loop, maybe that should’ve been mentioned upfront instead of marketing it as a full life sim just because cozy games are trending right now.
Features That Just Aren’t There
Tales of the Shire is missing elements that are basically standard every modern game.
- You can’t jump – At all. Just walking for you.
- You can’t walk through bushes – Even tiny ones block your path completely
- No shortcuts – The map is small, but you’re forced down linear paths anyway
- Navigation is confusing – Even with birds showing you the way, you’ll constantly be opening your map
I’m not asking for some massive open world. I just want to be able to step over a small bush. That’s not a design choice, it’s lazy.
The Cooking Gameplay
The cooking mechanic is fine. You follow recipes, pick ingredients, and do some timed chopping and stirring to make the perfect dish. It works, but it’s not deep and it doesn’t really evolve into anything more complex. It feels like a minigame that should be a small part of a bigger experience, not the main attraction.
It’s the Little Things (Pun Intended)
What really bothers me is how many small details were ignored.
- Minimal character customization – Every hobbit looks pretty much the same because there aren’t enough options (I’m still salty about having to have mandatory hairy feet, this is a video game with customization, let me have non-hairy feet).
- The world doesn’t feel alive – There are barely any ambient sounds or environmental details
- Performance issues – The game doesn’t run as smoothly as it should
- Weird restrictions – Not being able to walk through bushes or gaps in objects is frustrating
None of these are massive fixes. Adding paths through the grass, including ambient sound effects, expanding character options, they aren’t impossible asks. They’re basic quality-of-life features that make games feel complete.
The “Cozy Game” Problem
Here’s my biggest issue with Tales of the Shire: I think it makes cozy games look bad.
When reviews started pointing out the flaws, some people responded with “well, it’s just a cozy game” or “it’s a game for girls, so it’s fine.” That’s not okay, and it shouldn’t be relevant.
The best cozy games are incredibly well-designed. They respect your time and care about every detail. Low stakes doesn’t mean no depth. Relaxing doesn’t mean lacking features. Casual doesn’t mean low effort.
How many developers are just cashing in on the cozy game boom right now without actually putting any love into their work?
Tales of the Shire feels like it was thrown at a trend, not made for people who genuinely love cozy games.
Overpriced For What It Is
This game launched at $35, and honestly, that makes all its problems feel worse. What you’re getting is a small, limited experience with less polish than you’d expect.
If this had launched at $19.99? I could forgive a lot. At that price it becomes “oh, this is a cute little game.” At $35, it feels like early access that released too soon.
You’re not getting a full life sim. You’re not getting a world to explore. You’re getting a constrained experience that doesn’t match the price.
So Is It Worth Playing?
It depends on what matters to you. The cooking loop works fine. Some people absolutely love the game, and that’s great. But personally? I was disappointed in dozens of small ways that add up. Lack of polish, limited options, missing basic features, restrictions that make no sense, etc.
I expected standard features from a modern game that just weren’t there. Whether it needed more time or more care, it needed to be made for the genre, not just thrown at it.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of cozy games out there that do it better. Tales of the Shire had potential, but it feels rushed and underdeveloped. It’s not unplayable, but it’s not worth $35 either.
Have you played Tales of the Shire? Should cozy games be held to the same standard as other genres?
