Summary
The representation of the Medieval Era as people might know it, from general understanding and pop culture, is very different from its reality. Life expectancy was shorter, but not drastically so. There was proper hygiene, asKingdom Comeandits sequel can attest to, with Medieval reactions to walking around covered in mud being startlingly similar to how people in our contemporary age would react, and the whole Feudal structure as it’s understood today is more of a misunderstood fiction from much later in history.
If there’s one thing that Medieval games, both those rooted in history and fantasy, get right, it’s that war was a frequent fact of life. Often, simple farmers would be drafted to fight in their lord’s wars, and if their liege had not hired enough mercenaries to build a death stack that trampled the enemy’s armies,asCrusader Kings 3teaches us, bloody death awaited most soldiers. However, gaming doesn’t always have to be about bloody death!These Medieval-inspired games are engaging and engrossing without relying on in-depth duels or swordplay.
Kingdoms and Castlesmanages to be an excellent, lightweight, and beginner-friendly city builder that has a gradual building complexity but never overwhelms the player. This game does have some light combat,including dragon attacks and raids, but it’s all very distant, with no duels or drawn-out war mechanics to speak of.
These combat encounters can also be disabled for those who just want to focus on growing their tiny hamlet into a burgeoning city, and then spreading even further with colonies.
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulatoris a great game for testing wits and imagination. Customers will approach the player with various requests for elixirs, and it’s up to the player to figure out which ingredients will give the desired results.
A steadily increasing batch of equipment and ingredients can make this gamedifficult for beginners, but mastering the art of alchemy is incredibly satisfying and worth the effort, even if there’s never an instance of swords being drawn.
An instant classic,Pentimentis one of the best things to come out of Obsidian Entertainment, and that’s meetingan incredibly high bar.This story-focused, historical narrative has plenty of opportunities for players to change the outcome of the story.
It’s a deeply emotional, deeply insightful exploration of Bavaria that, while falling just outside the Medieval period proper, still brings a lot of the era’s influence through the protagonist’s role as an illustrator, with traditions that date back to this time.
A Medieval Styled Political Drama
Platforms
Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS, Android
Genre
RPG, Strategy
Balancing harsh decisions with reputations and intrigue,Yes, Your Gracehas been a staple among fans of story-based games for a while now. While the game does employ combat, it’s framed in a more dramatic, narrative way.
Controlling an entire kingdomis a daunting task, andYes, Your Gracelets players experience this while trying to juggle more personal, emotional problems with the royal family as well.
Medieval Dynastyis a game that is inherently peaceful. Weapons are not the sort that a Medieval commoner would have, and, as such, are reduced to poaching tools—spears, clubs, bows, and crossbows. Not a sword in sight.
This game has city-building and RPG elements that synthesize together wonderfully. This title is perfect for those who want to immerse themselvesin growing cropsand hunting for food rather than bloody wars and duels.
The Guild 2and its many expansions have come together to be an older, but much-loved fixture in the historical gaming scene. This game lets players experience Medieval Europe and, through certain choices, change it on a vast scale.
The game is focused on city builder elements and grand strategy more so than individual minutiae like melee combat. There are aspects of it, but the focus is mostly on the bigger picture of Medieval life.
Banishedflew under the radar for most city-builder fans, but there’s an excellent and incredibly organic game here for those looking to try a slower-paced and more immersive Medieval title.
Besidesbanking on the weatherto grow crops, players can also build and coordinate their towns with no technology trees to hamper their progress—any building that can be built is an option for the player right away.
Simulation
A simple but engrossing game,Tavern Masterhas players juggle the many competing needs of patrons in a Medieval-style tavern. Food and drink, not just of high caliber but in diversity and quantity, are needed to satisfy every patron.
As the tavern continues to rake in profits, it can gradually expand, becoming wider and taller as the player sees fit, with rooms able to offer lots of utility and help specialize the tavern in interesting ways.
