This is a tentative no, because I BADLY want to love it. I'm a massive Lord of The Rings fan, and there is a huge space in the market for a cosy game set in Middle Earth.

🍃The Good
- Cooking and foraging is fun and relaxing
- House customisation is enjoyable
- Soundtrack fits right in to Middle Earth
- The bird feature as navigation is really thoughtful and immersive
- I personally find the graphics charming and feel it adds to the vibe
Overall you can tell there is heart in this game. I just think they had to cut corners and it shows.

☄️ The bad
- You can't approach villagers to chat unless there's a quest related to them, which in a game about community seems a bit transactional
- The world doesn't feel very alive. Villagers don't really do anything but wander from place to place and stand around. Not much interaction with the environment or each other
- Fishing is really mundane for a game where it's supposed to be a core feature
- No festivals or holidays to mark the seasons, which seems like a major oversight for a Hobbit-themed game
- Lack of voice acting is also really disappointing. I had hoped that there would be dialogue even just for main quests scenes, but nothing. Such a shame
- No romance feature. They said it wouldn't fit the feel of the game but I don't believe that. I'm not asking for Baldurs Gate-esque cutscenes, damn. Can I not plan a hobbit wedding and host dinners with my spouse??
- Awkward controls at times; the lack of a jump button forces you to take extra long paths when you can't simply hop down a small bank, for example
- Framerate drops on a decent PC setup

I know this game could be great. I KNOW Wētā have so much love for this franchise. It shows, but it also shows that maybe they were crunched too hard. I just pray they will add more content in updates. But as it stands, if you're on the fence, don't buy it now in the hopes they will fix what's missing in the future.

EDIT: I want to add that if you're upvoting this cause you automatically hated the game due to "wokeness" you can absolutely miss me with that ♥♥♥♥. Don't use my genuine critique as a shield for your dumbass opinions. The amount of comments I've got about this is vile, I don't speak for you and I'm not on your side.

While this may be the cutest and coziest place to be in all of Middle Earth, I can't help but feel a bit let down. I went into this with high expectations but I feel like they dropped the ball and the actual execution was done very half heartedly.

There are some really great things here. The character and home customization options are very well done. The art and earthy tones are all on point and exactly what I was hoping for. That being said, this game runs horribly on the deck. Given the graphics advertised, I am a bit perplexed how this isn't running better (as I have played games with better graphics on higher settings with no problems). I can only run this game on the low settings. Anything higher, and it stutters. Feels very poorly optimized. If anyone has any suggestions, that would be appreciated ^_^

Upon startup, I found myself immediately disappointed. I am not sure why I thought there would be some voice acting but there isn't any and it feels like it desperately needs it. Even partial voice acting would have been great.

Adding to that, the beautiful world feels empty and the interactions equally so. There seems to be about 15 characters you can form relationships with. Yet the world is littered with little hobbits, harfoots and haflings that you just bump into and push around. It is the same with everything around you. Just there for filler.

The map seems spacious enough. The most frustrating part tho, is that you cannot even jump over anything, including obstacles. Just feels limiting and is more of an annoyance whilst exploring and navigating your way around. (Update: Scratch that, the most infuriating part is the 10 bag slot you are given -_-)

Overall, I feel like I am forcing myself to continue playing because I am a LOTR fan and I love all the cozy ideas this game has IN THEORY. Food is my love language. It brings people together. I love the concept of inviting friends over to cook for them. I love the foraging, gardening, cooking and socializing aspect this game promises. But have they executed? I am not 100% sure yet. But as of right now, it just feels hollow.

I am not going to refund because I am hoping at some point I will start to see the vision that got me so excited about this game in the first place. But as of right now, I cannot say this is worth the price tag.

Cute and cozy… undeniably so!! But the actual meat and potatoes of this game just isn't there for me. It falls flat. You are trying to sell friendship and building relationships with the love of food and banter, yet the world and its inhabitants don't embody that vision at all.

I was hoping for more liveliness. This feels cheap. I will continue to play and update my review if my feelings change (I really want them to change!!)

Till then...

~ If more of us valued food and cheer above hoarded gold, it would be a much merrier world ♡

As a massive fan of The Lord of the Rings, I was super excited to finally get my hands on this game. The delays were a bit disappointing, but I did manage to try a little of the demo beforehand. I’m pleased to say the game is very pretty and definitely delivers on the cozy, relaxing vibes I was hoping for.

The cooking system is amazing, there are so many recipes, and it’s genuinely satisfying to prepare meals. You can chop up ingredients to make your food either smooth or chunky, and inviting little hobbits over to enjoy your dishes is just adorable. Gathering items around the world is also great fun; you can keep some as ingredients, use them for quests, or sell them for money. There are plenty of crops to grow too, and they look beautiful once they’re flourishing in your garden.

Decorating your hobbit home is, for me, the best part. The free grid system lets you go all out and design your home however you like. The decorations themselves are very cute, and there’s a great variety to choose from. You can also decorate your garden, making your crop beds look neat and adding flowers for a finishing touch.

The map is a decent size with lots of lovely areas to explore. Skipping around is enjoyable, but I do wish there was a jump feature, it can be a bit frustrating to have to go all the way around a building or structure when a simple hop over would do. Given it’s a hobbit village, you can imagine there’s plenty of uneven ground and tucked-away buildings, so a jump option would really help.

The villagers are all very sweet, though sadly there’s no voice acting at all. Personally, I would have loved to hear them voiced as it brings characters to life and fills what sometimes feels like a bit of an empty void in the game. They mostly just wander around too, and I often find myself bumping into them (and feeling guilty!). It would have been nice to see them engaging in activities to make the world feel more alive. The little story is enjoyable, but many of the quests tend to be fetch quests or back-and-forth tasks between characters.

As for the art style, I know some people have commented on it, but personally I don’t mind it at all. I’m an older gamer and have seen this style used in plenty of games before. I completely understand it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s charming.

One small issue I’ve noticed is that I sometimes find myself twiddling my thumbs on what to do next, after watering my crops and finishing the quests available for the day. Fishing helps fill the time (and is a good way to make money), but the bag limit of 10 slots is… painful. For a game centred on gathering and collecting items, the small inventory feels very restrictive. Completing the Foraging Club questline did unlock a few extra slots, which helped a little, but honestly not by much.

I had debates on whether to make this review positive or negative, but I ultimately decided to go negative. That doesn’t mean the game isn’t good, so to speak, but I do feel it’s lacking in a lot of areas where I was expecting more. For example, I would have loved to see more hobbit lore, seasonal festivals, and the other elements I’ve mentioned above. Do hope to change this review into a recommended in future.

At the current price point, as much as it pains me as a huge fan, I can’t fully recommend the game just yet. I’d suggest waiting for a sale. That said, the game is still wonderful and enjoyable, and I do plan to keep playing it a lot, I’m genuinely loving it.

Enjoy your time with the little hobbits 📜