Manor Lords
Release Date: April 26, 2024 Early Access
Strategy, economic, RTS, the middle ages, Polish, indie games, city builder, Game Pass, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
Manor Lords is a Polish medieval strategy game, tasking us with building settlements and leading troops in combat. It was created by an indie developer Slavic Magic. We have a freedom of placing buildings on our land and we can observe the action from many cameras.
Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game that combines a strategic layer (village/city building) with spectacular tactical battles in real time.
Grzegorz Styczen
The creation of this game was made possible by an independent Polish developer, Grzegorz Styczen, operating under the banner of Slavic Magic, for whom this is a debut project. He comes from the Polish city Elblag and started creating Manor Lords in 2017. He relied on subcontractors during production, but he did most of the work himself.
Gameplay
The game is not set in any specific age or place, but is inspired by historical realities - feudal Europe from the 11th to the 15th century.
In Manor Lords we usually observe the action from above, but the player has control over the camera - we can zoom in or out to look at individual buildings or observe the battlefield from a slightly different perspective. There is also an option to traverse the virtual world as a character in a TPP view.
Building a city
The gameplay can be divided into two main parts - economic and tactical. In the first layer, we build and develop our own medieval village, which over time turns into a city.
We decide what buildings we will build (each of them has its own purpose), and we also have full freedom as to where they will be located - in Manor Lords we do not build based on any grid, each property can be rotated and positioned as we wish. The game attaches importance to realism, so it is worth taking into account the terrain and connection to roads. The game features a season system and variable weather. Players will need to deal with famine, wars and plagues.
Battles
The second main part of the game are tactical battles resembling what we know from Total War – we have a number of different units at our disposal, such as archers and light or heavy infantry. We can do things like set unit formations and give orders to troops fighting our battles.
Game modes
In Manor Lords only singleplayer is supported. There is no cooperation or competitive multiplayer mode.
Engine
Manor Lords was created based on Unreal Engine technology. It offers high quality three-dimensional graphics. The game is distinguished by a high level of realism and detail for a strategy title.
Updates
Since its release in Early Access, Manor Lords has been updated regularly. The author of the game introduces many new things based on player feedback.
GamePass
Manor Lords has been included in the PC Game Pass (and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) subscription since the launch of early access.
Last Update: April 26, 2024
Manor Lords Guide
Manor Lords guide is the best tips for developing a settlement, improving buildings, managing employees. We describe Royal Tax, The King Demands task, saving the game , system requirements, game length, language versions, keybinds.
Videos and Screens
[2:06] Manor Lords Manor Lords - Year in Review 2024 Trailer
[1:51] Manor Lords Manor Lords - Early Access Launch Trailer
Rectify Gaming: 9 / 10
Manor Lords stands as a shining example of the potential within indie game development that puts many triple A projects to shame. Keep in mind that it’s still in Early Access too, meaning the game will only get better from here on out. It’s an experience that respects its roots in history while providing a platform for strategic creativity. I’ve never been so immersed into a game about building cities and commanding troops, but being the lord of my manor allows me to weave my own stories of medieval life.
NoobFeed: 70 / 100 by Sarwar Ron
Although it is currently in early access, Manor Lords is still likely to be a solid city-builder real-time strategy game. But it isn't the game for you if you're looking for nonstop action. The game's difficulty spikes and its micromanagement might be a common complaint, but that's the nature of real-time strategy games. But these aren't an issue when this genre has the most demanding player base. To satisfy the RTS veterans, Manor Lords still requires a substantial amount of content during its final launch. Otherwise, after 30–50 hours of play, you would forget about the game.
IGN: 7 / 10 by Leana Hafer
Manor Lords is a gorgeous medieval city-builder that kept me occupied for hours building my perfect, cozy hamlets, but it definitely feels very early in its Early Access development.
The main pros of the game
- Graphics and Realism: The game features stunning graphics and realistic medieval environments, with attention to detail in village building and seasonal changes.
- Complex City Management: Players appreciate the depth of city management, including resource production and the need for strategic planning.
- Unique Building Mechanics: The gridless building system allows for more organic village layouts, enhancing the visual appeal and realism of the towns.
- Engaging Gameplay: Many users find the game fun and engaging, with a good mix of city-building and tactical battles.
- Active Development: Users acknowledge the developer's commitment to improving the game, with frequent updates and a clear vision for future content.
The main cons of the game
- Early Access Issues: Many users note that the game feels unfinished, with numerous bugs and incomplete features, leading to frustration.
- Difficulty and Balance: The game can be overly challenging, especially in combat scenarios where players feel outmatched. Resource management can also feel unbalanced, leading to constant struggles for survival.
- Limited Interactivity: There are complaints about the lack of meaningful interactions with NPCs and the limited scope of gameplay after initial expansion.
- Lack of Content: Players express disappointment over the limited number of features available in the early access version, feeling like the game is more of a demo than a fully fleshed-out experience.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Expanded Skill Trees and Technology: Users want more options in the skill trees and wish for technologies to be shared across regions rather than being restricted to individual settlements.
- Improved Trade System: Feedback suggests that the trade mechanics are unbalanced, with static prices that do not reflect realistic economic principles.
- Better AI and NPC Interactions: Players desire more dynamic interactions with NPCs, including the introduction of more aggressive and interactive AI.
- Enhanced Tutorials and Guidance: Many users find the learning curve steep and suggest that better tutorials and in-game guidance would improve the onboarding experience for new players.
- Additional Game Modes and Scenarios: There's a call for more diverse game modes and scenarios, including PvE content and challenges that could enhance replayability.
Summary
- Overall, while Manor Lords shows great potential and has a dedicated player base, it faces significant challenges related to its early access status, balancing, and content depth. Players are hopeful for future updates that will address these issues and expand the game's features.
Summary generated on:
GAMERS Score
Average score from 204 votes. 400 players anticipated the game.
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Manor Lords Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows April 26, 2024
Xbox Series X/S TBA
Developer: Slavic Magic
Publisher: Hooded Horse
Age restrictions: 12+
Manor Lords System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4 GHz / AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 1050 / 4 GB Radeon RX 460, 15 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended: Intel Core i5-7600 3.5 GHz / AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz GHz, 12 GB RAM, graphic card 6 GB GeForce GTX 1060 / 8 GB Radeon RX 580 or better, 15 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
Manor Lords update brings bridges, excess inventory mechanics, and new maps
Manor Lords developer shared some new features that will come to the game in an upcoming update. It will feature, among other things, a bridge-building system or redesigned animations.
video games
Martin Bukowski
December 19, 2024
Manor Lords Dev Responded to Accusations of Poor Game Development. „I Always Focus on Issues That People Comment On”
Some players accuse Grzegorz Styczen of ill-considered development of Manor Lords. The developer, in response, argues that he is improving elements wanted by fans.
video games
Martin Bukowski
November 22, 2024
Manor Lords Creator Hoped to Finish Supply and Demand System but Faced Some Obstacles
Slavic Magic studio is working on Manor Lords fixes, which may not be particularly exciting but should reduce the frustration coming from trading within the game.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
October 25, 2024
Manor Lords Finally Gets Long-Awaited Major Update. Record Low Price for Strategy Game Now Available on Steam
It took a long time to work on patch 0.8.004 for Manor Lords, but finally, Grzegorz Styczen made the big update available to all players. At the same time, the Polish strategy game received a record-low sale on Steam.
video games
Hubert Sledziewski
September 27, 2024
Number of Players Isn't Everything. Manor Lords Earned $60 Million in Steam Early Access
The number of players in a game isn't everything. Manor Lords is just one example of a game that is an unqualified success for the publisher despite its „decline” after its release.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
July 29, 2024
Manor Lords Will Undergo a Small Revolution. New Update Is Set to Bring Many Benefits to Devs and Players
Announced new features are heading to Manor Lords, including new units and a change of engine to Unreal Engine 5.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
July 23, 2024
Manor Lords Hunters not Hunting. How to Fix This Problem
In Manor Lords you can have problems with hunters. From this guide you will learn why they don’t hunt.
How to
Agnes Adamus
July 17, 2024
„You Are a Legend!” Manor Lords Dev Earns Player Respect with Promise of Careful Unreal Engine 5 Transition
The developer of Manor Lords is currently working on porting the game to Unreal Engine 5. However, he intends to introduce the most demanding features of this technology very carefully.
video games
Adrian Werner
July 17, 2024
The Long Dark Developer Apologizes for Criticizing Manor Lords
Raphael van Lierop revised his post about Manor Lords, apologizing to Slavic Magic studio, Hooded Horse company and Internet users for his words.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
July 10, 2024
Manor Lords Publisher Responds Critically to Allegations of Slow Game Development. „Not Every Game Should Be Aimed at Becoming Some Live-Service Boom or Bust”
Tim Bender from Hooded Horse disagrees with the developer of The Long Dark, who criticized Manor Lords, citing Grzegorz Styczen's game as an example of the problem of slow early access development.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
July 8, 2024