THE SHIREGet the game A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION
Between the sowing and the sailing, try a different kind of challenge. Discover the mini-games tucked into life in The Shire.
AT HUGH’S INN
Meet Hugh, catch up on the stories passing through town, and try Three Dice, Pitch Penny, or Tables. The Inn also hosts the three-stage Breakout campaign.
A quick throw against the house: roll three dice and aim for a total of 13 or more. Choose practice to learn the round without a stake.
Dice were part of medieval everyday life: the Metropolitan Museum holds examples excavated at Nishapur. The Shire’s target of 13, weighted rolls, and loss-streak rule are its own game mechanics, rather than a reconstruction of a specific medieval rulebook. The Met: medieval dice ↗
Read the wind, choose a short, straight, or long throw, and try to land your penny closer to the mark than the house.
Coin-pitching belongs to a long-lived family of pub games, with different targets and local rules. The Shire uses a closest-to-the-mark challenge with wind; it does not claim to reproduce a documented medieval version. Traditional Games: coin-pitching ↗
Roll the dice, move your counters around 24 points, block your rival, and bring every counter home. Clear the bar before moving on; bear off first to win.
Medieval “tables” games combined counters, boards, and dice. Archaeologists have found tablemen associated with medieval settlements; backgammon is a familiar member of this wider family. The Shire’s version gives two moves for doubles, so follow its in-game tutorial. Cotswold Archaeology: medieval tablemen ↗
Fancy a change of pace? Try Breakout at the Inn → Its paddle-and-ball play is a modern arcade challenge dressed in The Shire’s castle artwork.
AT THE TAVERN
Save a king, make a mill, or cast the dice. Discover three distinctive games, with in-game rules and tutorials to help you settle in.
Defend the king against the surrounding attackers. Slide along rows or columns, capture by sandwiching an enemy, and guide your king to a corner.
The National Museum of Denmark identifies hnefatafl among the Vikings’ games: an outnumbered king and his defenders face a larger attacking force. The Shire uses its own playable rule set, including corner escape and a four-sided capture of the king. National Museum of Denmark: Viking games ↗
Place nine counters, make a line of three to form a mill, then remove an opposing piece. Once the board is set, slide your counters and try to leave your rival without a move.
Also known as merels or merrills, Nine Men’s Morris was played in medieval Ireland. Its simple board hides a surprisingly tactical contest: forming one mill can open the way to another. National Museum of Ireland: Nine Men’s Morris ↗
Choose a main from 5 to 9 and roll two dice. If the opening throw sets a chance, keep rolling: the chance now wins, while the main loses. Check the rules for the special opening totals.
Hazard is a historic dice game with a long association with English gaming. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica describes choosing a main and then throwing for a chance. The Shire adapts that two-dice structure for a quick game against the house. 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica: Hazard ↗
Screens shown are from the game. Historical notes describe the games’ wider traditions; the in-game rules explain The Shire’s versions.
AT THE STOREHOUSE
Swap colourful tokens on an 8 × 8 board. Four in a line creates a rune; longer matches and clever shapes unlock even bigger combinations. Chain your specials, watch the cascades, and turn your score into clocks.
Plan your combinations. A rune, a bomb, and a colour orb each change the board in a different way.
Read the activity guide →
AT THE INN
Three stages. Three shared lives. Take on Castle Gate, Breach the Keep, and Enter the Treasury in a paddle-and-ball campaign, banking gold as you progress.
Aim off the paddle’s edge, watch for pickups, and make every life count.
Read the activity guide →
AT THE JOUSTING LISTS
Ride into a three-pass bout and compete for gold, XP, and Renown. The lists add a new challenge to your town and another way to leave your mark.
See the wiki for rewards, the cooldown, and how Renown appears in your Progress.
Read the activity guide →
MARKET COURIER
Collect goods and carry them to the wagon. Dodge crossing handcarts, watch your cargo, and use a well-timed dash to make it through the market.
Carry up to three parcels. Keep an eye on your hearts and the deadline.
Read the activity guide →Take aim at archery during the Abbey festival, fill orders at the river port, or watch for the travelling Feria. The wiki explains where to find each activity.
All activities & events →YOUR STORY STARTS WITH A SEED
Meet your neighbours. Learn the land. See what grows.