Tales of the Shire, the upcoming Lord of the Rings life simulation game, is embracing a more natural approach to home decoration by removing grid-based placement restrictions. Set for release on 29 July, the game invites players to experience hobbit life in Bywater village through gardening, fishing, cooking, crafting, and personalised home decoration.
In a recent developer update video, UX designer Jordan Peat explained that home decoration serves as a core self-expression feature in the game. The team made an early decision to implement a gridless system, allowing players to place items freely without being confined to specific squares within a grid.
This unrestricted approach gives players complete freedom to arrange their hobbit homes however they desire. Peat noted that walls can be covered with shelves and pictures, with the ability to place various items—both large and small—on every shelf without limitations, enabling what he described as a ‘clutter-core’ experience.
Cinematic Inspiration and Camera Innovation
The gridless decoration system better reflects the authentic aesthetic seen in Bag End from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, where books, papers, and whimsical trinkets are naturally scattered throughout the space. This decoration style sets Tales of the Shire apart from genre companions like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, which typically employ more restrictive grid-based systems.
The developers also showcased the game’s innovative camera system for decoration. When entering decoration mode within your home, the camera zooms out to provide a top-down ‘doll house’ cutaway view, making furniture and item placement more intuitive before returning to the standard camera angle.
Tales of the Shire will launch on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on 29 July, following a delay announced earlier this year. The game aims to deliver an authentic hobbit lifestyle experience while potentially introducing fresh elements to the cosy game genre beyond its Lord of the Rings setting.