Escape the World Into the Shire

Tales of the Shire's name-dropping has driven me mad

Tales of the Shire, a cozy life sim set in the Lord of the Rings universe, wears its Tolkien bona fides on its sleeves. The Hobbits are obsessed with food. Life is simple and peaceful. But the game makes one crucial mistake: way too much name-dropping.

Why ‘Tales of the Shire’ Video Game Explores the Softer Side of ‘Lord of the Rings’

One of the first things players see when they step into "Tales of the Shire" is the iconic "Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" character Gandalf.

Escape the world into the shire

The game centres around the business of making hearty meals. Just when you thought the Lord of the Rings product train had run out of steam, Wētā Workshop has more, Bill Hickman writes.