While Tales of the Shire’s release date slipped further into the year, the simulation game is quickly approaching. Now set to release this July, Tales of the Shire initially excited Tolkienverse fans and fans of the life sim genre alike. While its early previews came with their share of criticism, hopefully the delays will result in a stronger game at launch. One area that developer Weta Workshop will have had time to expand upon is the game’s interior decoration, and hopefully, it has considered adding items that go against the grain of the title’s cozy vibes.
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Tales of the Shire Needs to Explore Outside its Setting for Decor
Tales of the Shire isn’t just based on the Tolkienverse, as it is set entirely within the Shire. Players can create their own Hobbit avatar and decorate their own Hobbit hole while raising crops, catching fish, cooking, and participating in other staples of simulation gameplay. It would make sense for Tales of the Shire to theme all its decor around this one setting and the cozier aspects of the Hobbit lifestyle, but while this is all well and good, only having Hobbit-themed items could quickly feel mundane to players. Therefore, Tales of the Shire should implement decor inspired by other regions of Middle-earth and non-Hobbit characters.
However, there are some caveats to how Weta Workshop bringing this new style of decor to Tales of the Shire. Though the simulation game’s setting is exactly the reason why it should diversify its decor style, it could also hinder this change due to its chosen time period. Tales of the Shire is set in between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Characters like Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey could easily be referenced in the game, but Frodo and crew are unlikely to receive the same treatment. Depending on how dedicated Weta Workshop is to Tales of the Shire’s time period, the game’s decor may only refer to events that happened prior to The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Other areas of Middle Earth are showcased in The Hobbit, leaving space for decor found in Rivendell and from Erebor, better known as the Lonely Mountain. Tales of the Shire could include these items in the in-game shop, perhaps at a marked-up price which could be justified as “trading costs”. After all, traveling across Middle Earth is dangerous and expensive.
Hordes of treasure inspired by Smaug, statues based on various Tolkienverse characters like Gandalf the Grey, and props based on weapons and gear that various characters have used are also options for Tales of the Shire. Weapons and gear like armor should specifically be props or wall decorations, considering that combat is not part of Tales of the Shire’s gameplay, but also due to the nature of most Hobbits. An in-game justification for players owning these items is unlikely and would probably break Tolkienverse lore, but it would still be cool to see item descriptions for weapons and gear like Durin’s axe, Glamdring, and others. Amazon’s Rings of Power would also be an excellent source of non-Hobbit items, though collectibles based on their Harfoot ancestors should be a no-brainer.
If Weta Workshop wanted to add canon-breaking items from the Lord of the Rings, perhaps it could tag them with a special marker so that players seeking the most immersive experience possible can easily avoid them.
Ultimately, it will be up to Weta Workshop to determine what gets included in Tales of the Shire. The developer currently has its hands full as it prepares the new simulation game for its official debut. Nevertheless, including decor and other items inspired by the architecture and characters found outside the Shire would be to Tales of the Shire’s benefit and certainly please Tolkienverse fans who flock to the upcoming simulation game.
Life Simulation
RPG
Adventure
- Released
-
July 29, 2025
- Developer(s)
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Wētā Workshop
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