A 30-minute demo with Tales of the Shire at Summer Game Fest last week confirmed what was, uh, never actually in any doubt: it's Stardew Valley but with happy little hobbits. Well, not Stardew Valley exactly—it's in 3D rather than 2D and is focused a bit more on cooking than farming as its primary "cozy" mechanic—but you get the gist. This is one of many, many life sims that have followed in Stardew's wake, but like Disney Dreamlight Valley it's getting a big boost off the starting line thanks to its setting. If I were going to spend a couple hundred hours farming, cooking, and customizing my in-game homestead exactly how I like it, I can't think of a nicer setting than Middle-earth via New Zealand.
Tales of the Shire's depiction of the hobbits' corner of the world—specifically Bywater, located just down the road from Bilbo's home of Hobbiton—is painted in pastel earth tones, with a lovely art style that balances impression and detail. Its slightly muted colors are significant, because they led me to immediately lock in on a small feature that enchanted me during my short demo.
