Manor Lords is a medieval city-builder and real-time tactics video game developed by Greg Styczeń from Slavic Magic and published by Hooded Horse. The most anticipated game on Steam upon release, with over three million wishlists, it released into early access on 26 April 2024.
| Manor Lords | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Slavic Magic |
| Publisher(s) | Hooded Horse |
| Programmer(s) | Greg Styczeń |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 26 April 2024 (Early access) |
| Genre(s) | City-builder, real-time tactics |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay edit
Set in late 14th-century Franconia,[1] Manor Lords is a city-builder game which also includes real-time tactical warfare.[2] The game's three different modes, titled Rise to Prosperity, Restoring the Peace, and On the Edge, are differentiated by the aspects they focus on: Rise to Prosperity and On the Edge respectively emphasise growth through city-building and conquest through warfare, while Restoring the Peace gives a more balanced experience. The game offers a degree of customizability, with players able to adjust in-game values such as starting position and off-map threats.[3]
The city-building aspects focus on expanding an initially-small settlement through gathering resources, managing supply chains, and expanding trading networks, while also managing threats to the settlement's internal cohesion.[2][3] The game's emphasis on in-depth historical accuracy means players must manage six individual types of taxation, and balance quick growth with natural aspects such as weather and the possibility of environmental degredation through soil exhaustion and deforestation. Manor Lords, normally viewed through a top-down isometric perspective, also includes a feature which enables players to explore their settlements using a third-person camera mode.[4][5]
Development edit
Greg Styczeń was the creator and solo developer of Manor Lords through his studio Slavic Magic,[6][3] and in early years was funded in part through donations on Patreon.[7] Releasing an announcement trailer in July 2020, Styczeń initially aimed for the game to be wishlisted 14,000 times on Steam.[6] However, anticipation grew steadily, and Manor Lords, having been wishlisted over two million times by January 2024,[5] overtook Hades II shortly before release to become the most-wishlisted game on Steam, with over three million by release.[8][9]
The game was originally planned to be released in late 2023, but was delayed to the following year because Styczeń felt it needed "more bugfix and polish".[10] Manor Lords was released for early access on 26 April 2024.[5] Styczeń released a statement a week before release which attempted to temper expectations: he highlighted that the launch was early access, that Manor Lords was the first game he had developed, and that it was not intended to be a rival to Total War or role-playing games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance.[11]
Reception edit
Reception to initial demos, such as one showcased at the Xbox Partner Preview in late October 2023, was very positive, with praise directed especially at the game's complex nature.[7][2] Matt Jarvis of Rock Paper Shotgun compared its various aspects to the established franchises of Total War, Crusader Kings and Age of Empires, calling it "hugely ambitious" and "filled with potential".[2] The game has been noted for its relatively high degree of historical accuracy.[12] However, Styczeń has stated in interviews that in some cases considerations of gameplay superseded concerns of historical exactness.[13]
References edit
- ^ Bachman, Rhonda (27 April 2024). "Manor Lords-Entwickler mit ungewöhnlichem Aufruf: "Bitte macht das Spiel nicht kaputt"" [Manor Lords developer with unusual call: “Please don’t break the game”]. pcgameshardware.de (in German). Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d Jarvis, Matt (25 October 2023). "Manor Lords is Total War, Crusader Kings and Age of Empires in a blender, and it's headed to Game Pass". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Gould-Wilson, Jasmine (12 April 2024). "I played the medieval city builder-meets-RTS game that has 2 million wishlists on Steam and it blew my tiny mind". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ Grantham, Joe (28 February 2024). "Manor Lords: 6 Exciting Features Confirmed For The Strategy Game". GameRant. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Livingston, Christopher (18 January 2024). "The developer of strategy city builder Manor Lords expected 14,000 Steam wishlists... and wound up with 2 million". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ a b Jones, Ali (18 January 2024). "Steam's most-anticipated city builder hits 2 million wishlists - after the solo dev's girlfriend predicted they'd be lucky to hit 7,000". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ a b Smith, Graham (13 February 2021). "Manor Lords is a gorgeous city builder with Total War-style battles". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Serin, Kaan (14 April 2024). "Truly our most anticipated city builder becomes the world's most anticipated video game as it tops Hades 2's Steam wishlists". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ Lane, Rick (22 April 2024). "Chart-topping city-builder Manor Lords hits 3 million wishlists four days before launch". PC Gamer. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ Stella, Marloes Valentina (2024). "Manor Lords release date, trailers, gameplay, and news". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Cripe, Michael (18 April 2024). "Manor Lords Developer Stresses That It's 'Not a Total War Competitor,' Nor an RPG". IGN. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ https://www.polygon.com/24140347/manor-lords-early-access-impressions-pc
- ^ https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/developer-interviews/solo-dev-makes-sophisticated-sim-manor-lords-using-unreal-engine
