There is perhaps no setting more perfect for a cozy game than that of the Shire. Out of all the fictional universes and characters out there, Hobbits understand the appeal of growing crops and living an idyllic life as much as any Stardew Valley player. In fact, read the prologue of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and you'll see the halflings described perfectly: "For they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth. A well-ordered and farmed countryside was their favorite haunt." So on paper, the new cozy life-sim Tales of the Shire should be a home run; however, after completing its main story, like the Tooks and other Hobbits who suffer from wanderlust, I was left wanting something more.
Taking cues from the typical formula of "moving from the big city to the rural countryside" seen in most farming games (but with a Middle-earth twist), you're immediately thrown into the cartoony depiction of Tolkien's world as a Hobbit from the big-folk town of Bree. After staying (and presumably working) at the Prancing Pony inn, you discover that your customized hobbit has moved to the quiet community of Bywater to start a new life, one focused on foraging, dinner parties, and collecting recipes from your neighbours.
