Tales of the Shire Beginner Guide: Tips, Tricks, & What I Wish I’d Done Differently

At long last, the cozy Lord of the Rings game has arrived. Tales of the Shire lets players step into the role of a new Hobbit arriving in the village of Bywater. Only, maybe it’s not technically a village at all? As you work with the local Hobbits to confirm Bywater’s status, you’ll forage, fish, farm, and make a lot of delicious food. Most of the mechanics are pretty straightforward, but there’s a lot to uncover as you go. If you’d like a little bit of help getting started with Tales of the Shire, I’ve got some tips and tricks from my own time in Bywater.

After sinking over 30 hours into the game, there are a few things I wish I’d done differently or figured out sooner. Now, I’m passing on that intel to you so that you can live the Hobbit life of your dreams as you play Tales of the Shire.

5. Not All Who Wander Are Lost

The version of the Shire we see in Tales of the Shire is absolutely beautiful. But even with the gentle guidance of the birds rather than traditional quest markers, it’s easy to focus on getting from Point A to Point B. Not everything Bywater has to offer can be found on the map, however.

Taking the time to explore can help you find forageables more quickly. It will also make sure you don’t miss the random “Tales” scattered throughout Bywater. These story events are marked by blue glitter and can pop up randomly. So, if you’re not giving yourself time to simply explore, you could miss out on some lovely side story moments along the way.

4. Pay Attention to Orlo’s Letters

Early on, you’ll notice that Orlo sometimes sends you random letters about the townsfolk. Specifically, it’s a heads-up that someone doesn’t think you’ve invited them over for a meal recently enough. I initially dismissed this as a little quirk reminding me to use the Shared Meals mechanic. But it’s actually a legitimate warning!

If you don’t invite the specific Hobbit Orlo mentions to a meal within the next day or so, they’ll become Disgruntled. That means you won’t be able to invite them over for a few days. Not only is this upsetting if you’re a people pleaser like me, it can slow your progress. Some quests require inviting specific Hobbits to a meal. If they’re Disgruntled, you’ll have to wait for them to stop holding a grudge before you can.

3. Sell Your Spare Ingredients

From day one, I was constantly running out of Hobbit cash. Whenever I needed specific ingredients to satisfy a Craving for a Shared Meal guest, I’d be hard-pressed to afford that Flour, Bacon, and Cream. This could partly be a balancing issue with the game’s economy. But I think it’s largely because, unlike many farming sims, there’s no shipping bin to remind you to sell crops and other things.

The pantry in your Hobbit hole is massive. You can store up to 500 ingredients! It’s tempting to just stockpile things there. But if you do, you won’t have enough fish, forageables, and harvested plants to sell. So be sure you’re not keeping more than you need so that you have plenty to sell to any of the shopkeepers in the Village Square. That’s the primary way to make money in the game, and you’ll want to do it often to afford the ingredients and items you need.

2. Don’t Skimp on Shared Meals

Now we’re getting into my top tips for having an even better time with Tales of the Shire. You’ll be introduced to Shared Meals early on, and they’re meant to be a pillar of the game. However, the main quest will only force this feature on you a few times. So, it’s easy to miss out on inviting your fellow hobbits for meals. But you should be hosting Shared Meals basically every day to get the most out of the game.

Having Hobbits over for a Shared Meal is the primary way to increase your relationship with them. And increasing certain relationships is key to unlocking new features, ingredients, and recipes. Without doing this, you will miss out on things like more space in your Hobbit hole, additional fishing spots, and new places to host meals. Invite Hobbits for meals more often than not, and you’ll be discovering new features left and right.

1. Take the Main Story Slowly

There’s plenty to do in Tales of the Shire. But the main story itself isn’t particularly long. It only took me around 15 hours to complete, but then I had a ton of side quest content that I had missed out on. In retrospect, I think the game’s main quest to make Bywater a village is best enjoyed at Hobbit pace – slowly and savored, like a good meal.

Rather than rush through the main story, spend time building up your skills, leveling up friendships and clubs, along the way. That way, you’ll have more options when completing main story objectives. You’ll also get to enjoy the Shire as it was meant to be enjoyed.

I do have one caveat for this final and most important tip, though. There’s a main quest objective early on that involves getting Bywater Clubs set up. I suggest doing this as soon as you can, as it unlocks the skill trees for cooking, fishing, foraging, and farming. This gives you more to do in the game and helps you unlock key features, so it’s a must!