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) | Grzegorz Styczeń |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 26 April 2024 (Early access) |
| Genre(s) | City-builder, real-time tactics |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editSet in late 14th-century Franconia,[1] Manor Lords is a city-building game which includes real-time tactical warfare.[2] The game can also be considered a colony simulation. There are three different modes in Manor Lords, titled Rise to Prosperity, Restoring the Peace, and On the Edge. They 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; players are 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 trade 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 types of taxation, and balance quick growth with environmental effects such as weather and the possibility of environmental degradation including soil exhaustion and deforestation. Manor Lords is normally viewed through a top-down isometric perspective but it includes a third-person camera mode that allows players to roam their streets.[4][5]
According to the developer, the game aims to provide organic city building;[6] the roads are almost always curvy, and houses can be built without the interference of fixed or handmade zoning grids found in SimCity and Skylines games.
Development
editGreg Styczeń is the creator and solo developer of Manor Lords through his studio Slavic Magic.[7][3] In the early years, development was funded in part through donations on Patreon.[8] In 2021, Styczeń also received a grant from Epic Games through their Epic MegaGrants program.[9] The game was initially developed with Unreal Engine 4.[10]
Releasing an announcement trailer in July 2020, Styczeń initially aimed for the game to be wishlisted 14,000 times on Steam.[7] However, anticipation grew steadily, with Manor Lords being wishlisted over two million times by January 2024,[5] overtaking Hades II shortly before release to become the most-wishlisted game on Steam, with over three million by release.[11][12]
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".[13] 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, highlighting 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.[14]
In June 2024 it was announced that Manor Lords would switch to Unreal Engine 5 and the switch was completed by August 22 in version 0.7.987.[15][16]
Reception
editReception 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.[2][8] 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.[17] However, Styczeń has stated in interviews that in some cases considerations of gameplay superseded concerns of historical exactness.[10]
Manor Lords has received criticism for its quickly consumable content and there being no proper objective in the game. Leana Hafer from IGN states that the game is unfinished - she points out the lack of endgame challenge and ways to test its RTS battles definitively.[18] Robert Purchese from Eurogamer states that one of the biggest missing pieces for him is any kind of story, or stories coming from the people he's responsible for in the game.[19] Aleksa Stojković says that the combat is the thing he likes doing the least in Manor Lords.[20] Mitch Gassner points out that with too many unfinished components, Manor Lords does not have the power to keep people playing for weeks.[21] Ravi Sinha says that the policies should be expanded; suggests adding random events and the like to the game to reduce some of the boredom of long waits.[22]
Accolades
edit| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Golden Joystick Awards | Best Early Access Game | Pending | [23] |
| The Game Awards 2024 | Best Debut Indie Game | Pending | [24] | |
| Best Sim/Strategy Game | Pending |
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). Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. 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+. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. 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.
- ^ "Manor Lords". Manor Lords. Retrieved 10 October 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.
- ^ "Epic MegaGrants: 2021 Update". Unreal Engine. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Solo dev makes sophisticated sim Manor Lords using Unreal Engine". Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 27 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+. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. 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. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. 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. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ Norris, Rory (22 August 2024). "New Manor Lords update is the strategy game's biggest since launch, delivering a huge UE5 upgrade". PCGamesN.
- ^ Serin, Kaan (20 June 2024). "Manor Lords creator is sorry about bugs leftover from the city builder's latest patch, but promises the move to Unreal Engine 5 will sort out other "annoying" issues". gamesradar.
- ^ "Is Manor Lords' authenticity a blessing or a curse?". Polygon. 26 April 2024. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ Hafer, Leana (24 April 2024). "Manor Lords Early Access Review". IGN. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "Manor Lords early access review - beautiful foundations but missing important pieces". Eurogamer. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Stojković, Aleksa (25 April 2024). "Manor Lords Early Access Review - Strategy Game of The Year Candidate... In a Few Years". Twinfinite. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Gassner, Mitch. "Strategy Session: Manor Lords Early Access Review". MMORPG.
- ^ "Manor Lords Early Access Review – Royal Treatment". GamingBolt. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ West, Josh (4 October 2024). "Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth lead the shortlist for the Golden Joystick Awards 2024, nudging out Helldivers 2 and Balatro for the most nominations". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024.
- ^ Maas, Jennifer (18 November 2024). "Game Awards Nominations 2024: 'Astro Bot,' 'Final Fantasy VII Rebirth' Lead With 7 Nods Each". Variety.
