Medieval city builder Manor Lords combines the peaceful industry of settlement management with massive Total War-style combat. Created by solo developer Slavic Magic, the great strategy game is published by strategy and city builder specialists Hooded Horse, and you can get your hands on a demo of the city builder side during Steam Next Fest in early October.
Inspired by the architecture of late 14th century Franconia (a German region south of the country where Nuremberg is located), Manor Lords allows players to build their cities with complete creative freedom, eschewing similar grid-based systems in favor of complete positional control. As you build houses, you can add outbuildings to allow your population to grow vegetables, raise animals, and more. The visual details are beautiful too, allowing players to zoom in and watch their people go about their daily business.
Of course, you'll have to deal with the demands of the time of year to stock up in the spring and summer so you can get through the harsh winter months. You can settle on the map, build several settlements and look for more valuable resources. However, the environment will react to your expansions: animals will migrate from bustling settlements, and deforestation will become a real threat if you get too greedy in collecting materials.
You can also set up trade routes with other neighboring lords, or you can (and most likely will) come into conflict with them. That's where combat comes into play - and your soldiers aren't just faceless drones, but rather trained warriors and your favorite subjects, meaning "every death is a price worth considering."
Each fallen soldier means one less person to work in the settlement, so even a battle won can have long-term consequences for the population. Fortunately, considering tactics and positioning, Slavic Magic says that even a small force with a numerical disadvantage can decisively win with the right leadership. Unfortunately, the demo on offer won't let you master this aspect just yet, but it promises to give Manor Lords a rather unique experience for many city builders and colony sims.
However, city building has a lot to offer and should give a good idea of what Manor Lords has on the table. You can add to wishlist The Lords of the Manors in Steam, and a city building demo will be available during Steam Next Fest from 3 to 10 October.
If you're looking for more strategy in the meantime, Early Access to Terra Invicta is underway, giving fans a sneak peek at the ambitious space game from the makers of the XCOM Long War mod. Heart of the Machine, another upcoming game from Hooded Horse, lets you become a sentient AI in an already established civilization and decide how to influence the course of history.
