Recently released, *Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game* is a relaxing experience where you play as a Hobbit looking for a place to settle down, eventually finding a home in Bywater. The game focuses heavily on building relationships and friendships with other characters, even sharing meals with them. We had the chance to interview the developers at Weta Workshop, who were happy to answer our questions.
In Tales of the Shire, a game set in the world of Lord of the Rings, sharing meals is a central part of how the game works. What led Weta Workshop to make meals such an important feature?
We drew a lot of inspiration from Tolkien’s books. It doesn’t take long to realize that Hobbits *love* food – they eat up to seven meals a day! That made communal meals a central part of our game’s design. We even had a Tolkien expert on the team to ensure everything felt authentic to Middle-earth. We often describe Tales of the Shire as a game where “food is love.”
“We often say that “food is love” when talking about Tales of the Shire.”
Eating meals together is a key way to develop relationships with other characters in the game. Doing so unlocks new items like decorations and gifts, and helps you advance. Plus, these meals connect to the fun activities of gathering ingredients and growing your own food.
We’ve carefully designed the cooking system so players can create dishes that perfectly match each guest’s preferences. You’ll need to consider details like whether they prefer smooth or chunky soup, what seasonings to use, and if they like sweet or sour flavors. Players can find ingredients in several ways: by gathering them while exploring, fishing, trading with people in town, completing quests, or growing their own garden.
Developing the recipe collection was a really enjoyable process. We were lucky enough to have a developer who used to be a chef, and they helped us make sure the dishes looked authentic and realistic for players to cook in the game.
Enjoying meals together is great, but feel free to explore on your own if that’s what you prefer.
Ultimately, *Tales of the Shire* is a relaxing and low-pressure game focused on creating a cozy atmosphere. You can enjoy shared meals, but it’s just as fun to simply explore. Feel free to spend your time decorating your Hobbit Hole – it’s all about embracing the simple Hobbit lifestyle. Hobbits aren’t interested in grand adventures; they find joy in good food, friendship, and companionship.
What can you tell us about your post-launch plans for Tales of the Shire?
We’re excited to hear what our players think and learn what they’re enjoying most about the game.
How was the development of the game affected by the sale of Private Division?
We continued to make good progress on *Tales of the Shire*, and we really appreciated the support of the entire team working on it.
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2025-09-23 17:41