A cosy new hobbit-based Lord of the Rings spinoff game has been teased by Wētā Workshop and Private Division. Yes, it is actually happening.
Tales of the Shire was announced to celebrate Hobbit Day, and promises to provide a snuggly “heart-warming” experience set in Tolkein’s Middle-earth universe. It’s coming from Wētā Workshop and Private Division and will arrive sometime next year. Needless to say, I am more than a little bit excited.
To accompany this announcement, a small teaser was also released. It is short and suitably charming, showing a young person humming as she sits at a table strewn with flora and art supplies. There are also modern bits and pieces, such as headphones. She is painting in a book, and while I have nothing to base this on other than my hunch, she looks to be painting herself as a hobbit. Could this be Tales of the Shire’s soon to be pint-sized protagonist?
Reveal Trailer with no gameplay
How did “cozy” become the gaming buzzword of 2023? I’m already so sick of hearing it
“Cozy” games warrant a label of their own because just browsing “simulation” or “management” returns as many Frostpunks and Overcookeds as Stardew Valleys and Dave the Divers, and while these are ostensibly the same genre, they’re targeting people who want wildly different things from their games. Even the existing “casual” label doesn’t fit, because that’s meant more for short-session games that you can pick up and put down, well, casually - these games can still be fast-paced and stressful, and you want a cozy game for a nice long zen session.
As for its rising popularity, I think that’s also due in part to how the gaming market adapts to the lives of its audience. Shit is stressful right now, and a lot more people just want to chill lately, so more of these games are getting made and growing popular.
Is there a word you think describes the category better, that you’d hate seeing less?