5 Classic Games That Let You Create a Medieval Kingdom

Building a city in a game like SimCity or Cities: Skylines is always a blast, but sometimes it’s even more fun to go back in time. Taking charge of your own medieval kingdom adds an extra layer of fun to the mix thanks to the politics and war involved in being an ancient leader. The genre has been making a comeback in recent years with games like Manor Lords, but a few classic games place greater emphasis on city-building than on strategy. That doesn’t mean the latter isn’t involved, but the five games listed below will give you the feeling of running your very own medieval kingdom. This list is presented in chronological order, starting with the most recent.

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5) Banished

Developer Shining Rock Software released Banished in 2014, which makes it the most recent game on this list. In fact, you could easily argue that it doesn’t fit the “classic” label, but it’s also more than a decade old. Now that we’re all feeling our age, Banished might be the best representation of a medieval city-builder on this list.

You start as a group of exiled travelers and slowly build your city into a sprawling empire. In a big change from many games of this type, there’s no skill tree to work through. Instead, you can make every building in the game from the jump, assuming you have the resources. It can feel a little smaller in scope than some of the other games on this list, but if you’re looking for a relatively cozy simulator set in medieval times, Banished is the one to try.

4) Anno 1404

The Anno series has become a fan favorite, and publisher Ubisoft has not been afraid to test out eras from all over history. Anno 1404 is the series’ take on medieval times. City-building is one of the main aspects you’ll need to manage, but don’t forget to manage trade, or your city will be left in ruins. The developers also introduced two different zones split by culture. That wasn’t new to the series, but being able to build in both was a first for the series.

Granted, The Occident, which is reminiscent of Renaissance Europe, is the focus, but you’ll also need to improve your settlement in The Orient if you want to keep your trade routes up. Building up both is key to progression, which means you’ll be creating a new Near East city alongside your medieval fortress. It’s a fun mix that keeps the action fresh. The team added a Venice expansion a year later, which gave players their own massive mansion, making it feel even more like you were running a Renaissance kingdom.

3) Medieval 2: Total War

If you’ve played one of the many Total War games, you’ll know that Medieval II falls much more in line with the strategy side of building a medieval kingdom. That said, you will feel like a king running his own fiefdom; it’s just going to involve a lot more bloodshed than the games I’ve mentioned thus far. Still, you can pick one of 23 factions and use your power to build your kingdom’s military and economic strength until you can take over the world.

Obviously, the focus is much less on aesthetics, but it’s hard to overstate how good Medieval II is at replicating the feeling of being a conqueror from the era, waging war against everyone from local lords to the Mongols to even the Aztecs as you start exploring the Americas. And if you fall in love, developer Creative Assembly has some good news for you. Medieval III is officially in the works, so the classic game will finally get a sequel sometime soon.

2) Stronghold 2

Stronghold 2 also puts a heavy emphasis on strategy. However, it’s much more about running your own kingdom while managing all of the politics around the castle. You can really get down into the nitty-gritty if you want. Peasants will sometimes engage in various crimes, and you’ll need to decide if it’s worth torturing them to make an example out of them to stop future ne’er-do-wells.

Developer Firefly Studios moved Stronghold 2 to a full 3D engine, which means you can get up close and personal with the citizens of your kingdom. It’s also helpful for getting rid of waste and dealing with rat infestations. As you can see, Stronghold 2 isn’t afraid to let you get into the muck. If you want to control almost every aspect of your castle, this is a game to check out. Thankfully, an updated version was released on Steam in 2017, featuring six new maps and the ability to create and share custom maps. Oh, and Stronghold 4 is due out relatively soon.

1) Medieval Lords: Build, Defend, Expand

This is as close to a medieval version of SimCity as you can get. Developer Monte Cristo Multimedia put this out in 2004 and seemingly wanted to give players a castle-themed reskin of classic SimCity. Fighting takes a major backseat to running your kingdom in this pure city-builder. Of course, it’ll show its age, assuming you can manage to get it running, but Medieval Lords is exactly what you’re looking for from a city management sim set in a medieval world.

You’ll need to provide your peasants with everything from food and easy access to transportation to religious amenities. Doing so will help you keep the population’s happiness in check, while also letting you tax them to build up the kingdom even more. And if you want to see what it’s like being a villager in your kingdom, Monte Cristo included a first-person camera that lets you walk around the city. Medieval Lords might not break much new ground, but for SimCity lovers looking for a medieval twist, this is the game to try.