Lords and Villeins

Release Date: November 10, 2022

Strategy, economic, the middle ages, 2D, indie games, city builder, singleplayer

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An economic strategy in which we manage a medieval village. In Lords and Villeins, we do not deal with individual settlers, but negotiate with the heads of families and watch them fulfill their duties, while finding time to play and establish relationships.

Videos and Screens

[1:10] Lords and Villeins Lords and Villeins - 'The Great Houses' DLC Launch Trailer

[1:16] Lords and Villeins trailer #1

Lords and Villeins is an economic strategy game, in which the player is tasked with managing a medieval settlement. The title, inspired by such games as RimWorld, The Settlers and The Guild was developed by the independent team Honestly Games and published by Fulqrum Publishing.

Plot

Lords and Villeins puts you in a role of the head of a noble family, given an undeveloped piece of land by their ruler. The player's objective is to build a prosperous settlement, thus expanding and securing their dynasty's influence.

Mechanics

Lords and Villeins plays in an isometric perspective. Throughout the game you're the one responsible for how your settlement functions. We thus have to erect houses, production and storage buildings, public spaces, as well as fulfill the needs of various social groups (such as peasants or nobles), them various professions (which are then passed down from generation to generation) and enforce the law. You also need to gather various resources, create efficient production chains and collect taxes.

Since your settlement is only a part of a larger domain, you must also handle the Church and fulfill your ruler's whims. These include training soldiers or fielding an army when needed, as well as paying tribute. Needing to satisfy the king and taking care of your people at the same time can be problematic. If residents feel exploited, they may refuse to obey orders; if you take too much from them, you can cause a famine. On the other hand, not fulfilling the ruler's demands might get you executed, with your land granted to a more competent administrator - in the eyes of the king, at least.

Uniquely, the game doesn't force the player to handle every single villager or nobleman. Instead, players deal with groups of people at the same time, represented by family leaders. If you rule your land well, you'll see the fruit of your actions overtime - as months pass (which is represented by, among other things, changing seasons), your village grows, with the villagers fulfilling their duties while having enough free time to enjoy themselves, make friends, enter relationships or start families.

Technical aspects

Lords and Villeins features simple, yet colorful and clear pixel art graphics. The maps are procedurally generated, so each playthrough is slightly different from the previous ones.