The cutest Lord of the Rings game yet gets its first trailer, and I immediately want to live in this Hobbit take on a Stardew Valley-like life sim

The upcoming Stardew Valley-style Lord of the Rings game has finally got its first trailer, and it's just as magical as we were all hoping.

After teasing its release for the last few days, Tales of the Shire's and developer Wētā Workshop finally gave fans what they've been waiting for and released the very first trailer for its upcoming life sim. Considering everything we've learned about this game so far - including the key art shared last month - Tales of the Shire is basically exactly what we were expecting.

This game looks perfect for fans of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Stardew Valley, or Disney Dreamlight Valley, especially if they also happen to like The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. In Tales of the Shire, players will create a custom character (in this case, a Hobbit) and work with the other residents of the small village of Bywater to breathe new life into the quaint town. You can see the trailer for yourself below.

To do this, they'll forage, fish, cook meals, tend to their gardens, decorate their homes, befriend other Hobbits, and more. It also looks like players will be able to explore Bywater during each season, and visitors will be able to drop by (is that Gandalf at 1:25?) There's still a lot to learn about this upcoming game, but this first trailer is certainly enough to get cozy gaming fans excited.

We don't yet have a release date for Tales of the Shire but we do know that it's expected to launch sometime this year and when it does, it'll be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch. 

Need something to keep you busy until then? Take a look at our games like Animal Crossing list for inspiration.