Learn the art of medieval town planning in 'Manor Lords' (PC)

Berlin (dpa) — It's a long way from a small village to a big city. In the indie construction game "Manor Lords," players get a finely detailed town-building simulation.

Inspired by Franconia in late medieval Germany, the setting is surrounded by lush forests. Players have the freedom to design their village and the everyday life of its residents according to their own ideas.

Choose whether to be a lord or lady, find a portrait, design a coat of arms, and off you go. There are three different game modes. You can either approach it peacefully and concentrate entirely on expanding the village or choose one of the other two scenarios, where there may be occasional battles.

Just like in "Age of Empires," building materials such as stone and wood are mined first in order to then be able to build the village. If you have enough resources, these can be upgraded over several levels and then yield more income.

Farmsteads serve as places of residence for the villagers and, once upgraded to the second level, generate a passive income that gives a monthly unit of regional wealth.

There are two types of money: Regional wealth reflects the financial resources of the villagers and can be used for expanding the settlement and trading. As a leader, you also have control over the money in the treasury, which allows you to hire mercenaries and settle new regions.

Food, fuel, and fighting

A practical user interface helps you keep track of all these tasks and monitor your personal progress. It offers a clear overview of all the processes in the region, from trade to finances to raw materials, and enables easy management of the settlement.

The seasons are important as each one has different effects on village life and the procurement of resources. If you want to get your villagers safely through the winter, you need to collect enough food and fuel beforehand.

Between growth in spring, droughts in summer, and the harvest in autumn, all kinds of seasonal peculiarities are integrated into the game.

In addition to the growth of the village, fighting is also a focus of the game. Bandit camps must be conquered, the village protected from predatory attackers, and the armies of an enemy baron eliminated.

Militias can be recruited from the inhabitants of the settlement. Players who demonstrate enough tactical sophistication will emerge victorious from the battlefield.

The game is a real feast for the eyes in terms of graphics, providing a realistic medieval aesthetic in its detailed landscapes and authentic architecture. There are also no limits when it comes to choosing the camera perspective. With an atmospheric soundtrack, you can easily lose track of time while busy building cities.

"Manor Lords" is currently only available in early access mode for PCs as the content is still being tweaked. A console version is planned. The game costs around €30/$30 and is suitable for players aged 12 and older.