So, like, have you heard about this cozy game coming out called Tales of the Shire? It’s all about living that Hobbit life in Bywater, and it’s set to drop on July 29. You can do all sorts of stuff like gardening, fishing, cooking, crafting, and most importantly, decorating. And get this, the decorating in this game is totally gridless, which means you can place things wherever you want without being confined to some boring grid system.
According to the developers, home decoration is a big deal in Tales of the Shire. Jordan Peat, the UX designer, mentioned in a YouTube video that the gridless system allows for total freedom in placing items. You can go wild and cover your walls with shelves, pictures, and whatever else your heart desires. It’s all about that ‘clutter-core’ experience, you know?
I personally love the idea of not being stuck in a grid when decorating. It makes it way easier to create a unique and organic-looking home. Plus, it’s more true to the messy charm of Bag End in the Lord of the Rings movies. I mean, who wants a perfectly neat and organized house anyway?
Gridless decorating isn’t something you see often in games like Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. But, there’s this game called Palia that has a similar art style to Tales of the Shire and also boasts a gridless decorating system. I’ve tried it out, and let me tell you, it’s a game-changer. Can’t wait to see how Tales of the Shire’s decorating experience stacks up.
The devs also revealed that the camera angles in Tales of the Shire will shift to make decorating easier. When you enter decorating mode, the camera zooms out to a top-down view, kind of like a dollhouse, so you can move stuff around more freely. It’s a small detail, but it makes a big difference in the decorating process.
We’ve got a bit of a wait ahead of us before we can dive into Tales of the Shire, thanks to a delay earlier this year. But hey, good things come to those who wait, right? I’m itching to explore life in Bywater and see what this game has to offer beyond just the Lord of the Rings vibes.
Tales of the Shire is dropping on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, and you can already wishlist it on Steam. So mark your calendars for July 29 and get ready to embrace the cozy chaos of Hobbiton.
