Manor Lords
Developer Slavic Magic
Manor Lords is a medieval city-builder and real-time tactics video game developed by Grzegorz "Greg" Styczeń from Slavic Magic and published by Hooded Horse. The game was released into early access on April 26, 2024, and was the most-wishlisted game on Steam prior to its release, with over two million wishlists. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
681 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
401 positive · 151 negative
95% range 69–76%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 401 | 151 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 38 | 5 | 59 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 1 | 14 |
| Mastodon * | 2 | 0 | 8 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
What players are saying
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 304 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (77,803 of 92,477 positive).
Players praise the game's visuals, atmosphere, and city-building mechanics. [1][2][3] Many note that development is slow and the game feels unfinished. [4][5][6] Some find the RTS and combat elements lacking or disconnected. [7][8][9]
- [5]
If you wondering what Manor Lord is, the answer is problematic eye candy. TLDR: I strongly recommend wait for full release or at least wait for a good discount. Devs have an Incredible attention to details, game is very atmospheric and have some really solid ideas. It feels organic, well put together and for a few hours, you really feel like a lord. Then... You try to be one. More than two years into Early Access, …
- [1]
Rating this game is a little bit difficult. The game has awesome visuals, amazing animations, and really good graphics. In short, it’s not a bad game about the Middle Ages. However, the game doesn’t have real enemies, and that’s very important. We only have a “nominal enemy” outside the map, and it gets boring asf. There is also a real problem with architecture in big cities. The game has a maximum of only three …
- [11]
Dear Devs: THANK YOU FOR THE PERFECT GAME. This is literally everything I have ever wanted. It is like the ideal combination of Civilization, Tiny Glade, and the Sims, and even a touch of what I wish Animal Crossing could be. The medieval art is to die for. The historical references are amazing. The realism is unmatched. I rate this 1000000+ stars, I'm not even kidding, I am recommending this for all the girlies who …
- [2]
The devs asked for feedback, so here it is. From a gameplay perspective, the game is in a strong place. It’s engaging, easy to sink hours into, and strikes a good balance between city-building and combat. There’s a learning curve, but it feels natural rather than punishing, and you gradually get the hang of things without frustration. The graphics, art style, and music are standout. They do a great job of pulling …
- [3]
Manor lords is what I always wanted from Banished. It's a project clearly loved by its developer and it shows. There is so much freedom in building, the flow of goods works, and ITS SO ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ PRETTY. This feels as the most realistic yet fun medieval town builder out there for me. I am very excited to see future content for this game. Yes, it is very clear this game is still early access. From balancing to content. …
Summarised from 34 of the 409 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
Players who liked Manor Lords talk about beautiful graphics and immersive medieval atmosphere; those who didn't talk about very slow development pace with little new content. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
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. 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". The game has been noted for its relatively high degree of historical accuracy. However, Styczeń has stated in interviews that in some cases considerations of gameplay superseded concerns of historical exactness. Manor Lords has received criticism for its quickly consumable content and there being no proper…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 681 · most liked firstIf you wondering what Manor Lord is, the answer is problematic eye candy. TLDR: I strongly recommend wait for full release or at least wait for a good discount. Devs have an Incredible attention to details, game is very atmospheric and have some really solid ideas. It feels organic, well put together and for a few hours, you really feel like a lord. Then... You try to be one. More than two years into Early Access, Manor Lords has the strange talent of feeling less finished each time you boot…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story being sold is better than the game being shipped... Manor Lords is one of the most effective marketing campaigns in recent gaming memory. Over 3 million wishlists before launch. A "solo developer, 7 years, one man's dream" narrative that every outlet happily repeated. Trailers and gameplay videos showing a deep, living medieval world. Then you actually play it. What you get is a shallow, repetitive city-builder with a handful of systems stretched thin across hours of nothing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm honestly not happy about leaving a negative review here- the existing content is genuinely a good foundation for what I expect to be a great city builder when it's done. The problem is that the development is going so slowly I'd be shocked if we see a full release before 2029. I've had the game for over a year, and in that time, what's been added is: 1) Updated castle building 2) A new development point tree (with five of the six levels of development listed as 'coming soon' for five…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At first it was forgivable to have such a lack of content and a lack of balance due to the early acess nature of this game, as stated by the dev, but after more than one year this game is still lacking in many basic areas which is sad due to its great potential. Ai should be fixed, raids are too common and they are just annoying, the rival noble spams claim too fast, you can disable both in the options but then you encounter another problem: the gameplay becomes too flat, you need some action…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game was incredibly promising two years ago at release and the bones are still there. It has a foundation that no other medieval city (village) building game has, and I really hope for a future where I can change this review. However, for the past two years we've gotten very little content (basically just stone castles that are frankly, not all that interesting) and just rebalance after rebalance that haven't actually changed how the game feels. Every "major" update has me saying cool while…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hooded Horse ban AI-generated art in their games: "all this thing has done is made our lives more difficult". > Manor Lords and Terra Invicta publishers Hooded Horse are imposing a strict ban on generative AI assets in their games, with company co-founder Tim Bender describing it as an “ethics issue” and “a very frustrating thing to have to worry about”. > > “I fucking hate gen AI art and it has made my life more difficult in many ways… suddenly it infests shit in a way it shouldn’t,” Bender…
neutral · AI labelView post →Would NOT recommend I bought this game on day one, here are my problems: This Dev Team (yes, a team, many people, with millions of dollars in revenue) is insanely misguided. They are either intentionally lazy because they hit it big with Greg pushing out a premature release that didn’t work well and hit it big. OR they are just flat out incompetent. Years of waiting for features and bug fixes that they say will come, and never do. Ai (and enemy AI) is so bad, oxen still have been…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm disappointed in the direction the development team is taking with this game. I bought it when it first came out in early access and played it for about 40hrs before laying it down because of bugs and frustrations. After the most recent update I played it for another 40 or so hours and layed it down again because of similar bugs and frustrations. My main frustration is that the team seems to be working on new features instead of improving, solidifying and hardening existing ones. Make sure…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Getting worse with every update. Dev wants complexity. It's not complexity that makes a good game but rather immersion. Colonizing a new region is a painful chore of starting over. You get no benefit from already having a town. Your settlements are too disconnected from eachother. Trade between your own settlements is a convoluted mess. A much better methof of expansion would be to add new territory to your existing settlement. In other words - no borders between your owned regions. You'd…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has been "under development" for over 4 years now, The developers have made plenty of money. Y'all need to literally poop or get off the pot. I just played the recent "update" and the game is more broken after the update. It genuinely is getting old supporting early access games that refuse to actually have a vision and complete it. Quit wasting out time!!!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →On the release day, it was understandable that the game still needed time to be finished, but almost two years have passed and after two major updates, the content has barely been updated. Development points still haven’t been added. The latest update failed to fix most of the well-known bugs. When I try to demolish the manor and move it elsewhere, the game freezes and I have to restart the computer. Nothing has been done to fix the memory leak. After about one hour of play, the game suffers…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought into the early access as soon as it went live, and in the two years since it honestly might have gotten worse. Rather than a clear path to 1.0, existing features have been reworked or regressed in disappointing ways, pathfinding and peasant AI is a mess, the UI lacks a lot of the tools you'd want from a game trying to be as in depth as this. The whole thing is full of gameplay dead ends and masked features that it's just become frustrating. Trying to get peasants to do effective…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I cannot recommend this game in its current form or any form to be expected in the foreseeable future. I bought the game at early access release in April 2024, I believe for $30. It looks like it has increased to $40 now - laughable when it has arguably less replayability now than it had at launch. Development speed is abhorrent for a game that has $50+ million in revenue. When you generate that much money (even if you started as a single developer) and you have accomplished so little in 2.5…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rating this game is a little bit difficult. The game has awesome visuals, amazing animations, and really good graphics. In short, it’s not a bad game about the Middle Ages. However, the game doesn’t have real enemies, and that’s very important. We only have a “nominal enemy” outside the map, and it gets boring asf. There is also a real problem with architecture in big cities. The game has a maximum of only three building models for level 3 buildings (the highest level). As a result, the cities…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to love Manor Lords. The graphics are stunning, the historical accuracy is top-notch, and the building mechanics feel incredibly organic. The first few hours are magical as you watch your village come to life. However, the main issue with this game is that nothing is moving forward. It feels like the game has hit a complete standstill. Once you get past the initial honeymoon phase and build a basic town, you quickly realize how hollow the experience currently is. There is a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent style and feel, great music and good visuals. Under the hood, the logistics are terrible. The lack of control in the market system is frustrating. Moving goods around is like pulling teeth. There is a lack of information about where goods are, and how goods are moving around, the rates that they are being produced, etc. I don't understand the core design choices around regions; the game seems to be geared towards encouraging the player to make several villages, which specialise in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has a sense of immersive realistic medieval beauty, and you will most likely enjoy that aspect for good reason. However, this team & business repeatedly exhibits a pattern of not following through with delivering on what was presented to all who have passionately been supporting this project for years. Their communication is unprofessional & misleading, and there is a long list of undelivered features which THEY announced over the months & years. When the game first came out, Greg…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Look, it can be a fun game and I've enjoyed playing it, but the bugs just ruin any enjoyment you have There are many clunky mechanics that need to be ironed out, the combat leaves a lot to be desired, and when an enemy makes a claim over your home region, a battleground appears in another region altogether, and then you somehow lose the battle even though you were the only one with troops in the battleground... Wait until the game is released in a playable state, I wouldn't recommend…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Manor Lords is one of the most visually impressive and atmospheric medieval builders ever made. The building system, the world design and the grounded realism are genuinely special. This game should be a major success when it reaches full release. But right now, Manor Lords is held back by it's complexity that doesn't add depth - it adds friction. The game is not hard in a fun or strategic way, it's hard in a way that confuses players, it hides essential mechanics and creates frustration…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Most positive reviews i've seen of this game states its "potential" and what it "can become". Going from what it is right now, it is not worth the price. I bought it when it "released" and since then not much has happened. The development is incredibly slow and the game feels unpolished and half done. I never buy early access games but made an exception for this game since it looked so good. I am really regretting my purchase and wish i would have held out to see if they will release a full…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What walking around in the game Manor Lords is like in my imagination ;) I went for a walk and whenever I am lady of my own town I get a little power-mad and start imagining things ;) BTW I was a historical consultant for this game, it's awesome.
positive · AI labelView post →Manor Lords is a game that has "promise". The problem is that if you look at all the positive ratings for this game, they have to be from the hopeful / "we like where this could go" crowd. I've been playing this for quite a while now off and on after each patch, and unfortunately there just isn't much of a reason to play this game, and I'll share my thoughts below: 1) City building in medieval times - This concept has a lot of promise. However, in order to fill the communities needs, you have…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been checking back with this game since I bought it on release. Every time I'm dissapointed with the lack of real updates. I enjoyed the game for what it is, but i'm starting to get disillusioned, and worry the devs don't have the incentive or committment to finish the game. It's a shame. I hope they prove me wrong, in which case I will change this review.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has a lot of potential, but it seems development stalled. If it had more content the replay value would be much higher, right now it is an unfinished mess with nothing to do once you have a stable settlement running. It lacks content to beautify your settlement, has no mod support, and patches are very rare and mostly aimed at altering game mechanics instead of adding actual content to the game. The game is beautiful, but shallow. Everything feels unfinished. Yes, it is in early…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Man, i tried. Game is just too raw and underdeveloped. I mean it feels awesome, but overall disbalance, dead trade, lack of depth just ruins the mood. I work 12 hour shifts, and have some rest on spare days, that i can somewhat invest in some positive gaming experience. And i've spent all my free time i had on me in last two weeks trying this game, while also learning mechanics from the youtube tutorials. Random generation of fertility, random generation of resources kinda make sence, yes.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The development over the last 2 years feels like 1 step forward and 2 steps back. The settlement tier upgrades used to be a tree full of perks that allowed you enhance 4 different categories. Now the settlement tier upgrades offer 9 variations for tier 1, and the remaining 5 tiers are locked as "coming soon" - meaning you can't even progress through the tiers anymore. The game actually felt more complete in the first 6 months than the current state 2 years later. Micromanagement is tedious…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have a bit of a love–hate relationship with this game. It’s very much my type of game – the graphics are stunning, and the atmosphere and sound design are beautiful. Unfortunately, some things make it too frustrating to keep playing. The biggest issue for me is the bandits. They can steal your items without any warning or indication they are nearby. There’s no animation of them approaching or leaving, and no real way to defend against it. I enjoy challenges in games, but this feels unfair…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For the buyers: Games great, well made, polished and feels fun to play. Its not by any means finished but is more than playable in it's current state, if you like city builders and war managment games this is your huckleberry. I also gotta say dev team is VERY active, still buy it on sale till it's done 39$ CAD is a bit much for an unfinished game, no offence devs, it WILL be much more than 39$ when done ;)…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Manor Lords is an ambitious hybrid that fuses granular medieval city-building with real-time tactical warfare. Developed primarily by a solo creator, it aims for systemic authenticity over arcade accessibility. Rather than emulating the grid-based orthodoxy of titles like Banished or leaning fully into grand strategy abstraction like Crusader Kings III, Manor Lords positions itself in a simulationist middle ground: intimate in scale, but structurally complex. The result is a game defined…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Sad but True Review For Manor Lords The first time I heard about Manor Lords, I was thrilled, A medevial city builder with total war style combat. So, I waited.... and waited some more for this game, over 3-5 years past and it finally released. It was rocky and glitchy at first, like sometimes you couldn't even finish the game due to game breaking bugs. But, I gave it time and waited patiently as updates were released and game tried to make itself better. But, I couldn't be more…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The devs asked for feedback, so here it is. From a gameplay perspective, the game is in a strong place. It’s engaging, easy to sink hours into, and strikes a good balance between city-building and combat. There’s a learning curve, but it feels natural rather than punishing, and you gradually get the hang of things without frustration. The graphics, art style, and music are standout. They do a great job of pulling you into the medieval setting and make the experience feel immersive and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game review (from 2024). Manor Lords is a medieval city builder that I've made a modest contribution to as a historical consultant & beta tester for. It tries to depict the middle ages in an accurate way, behind the scenes historians, experts & history addicts have been debating the tiniest details.
positive · AI labelView post →Indie devs should avoid 'most indie publishers' says Manor Lords indie publisher Hooded Horse: 'The vast majority of indie publishers are predatory and opportunistic'.
neutral · AI labelView post →Yesterday I played first time in 2 years. I must say I am a little disappointed with how much game progressed since then.. Lots of QOL stuff that was discussed here back in the day is still not present, game feels off and bugs are still prevalent. I honestly can't remember what changed since then but I can't see much to be honest. Things are still not obvious (like farming), 'documentation' still misses things like where wooden tools are made, there are lots of small annoying things and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hooded Horse ban AI-generated art in their games: "all this thing has done is made our lives more difficult". cross-posted from: https://pawb.social/post/37780967 > > Manor Lords and Terra Invicta publishers Hooded Horse are imposing a strict ban on generative AI assets in their games, with company co-founder Tim Bender describing it as an “ethics issue” and “a very frustrating thing to have to worry about”. > > > > “I fucking hate gen AI art and it has made my life more difficult in many…
neutral · AI labelView post →Good lord Manor Lords is a beautiful looking game! Look at my cute little medieval village!
positive · AI labelView post →Still amazed by how good Manor Lords is, such fun to play, so addictive and deliciously gorgeous. I mean just look at my city, look at it! Haven't even started on the castle :) Read my review here: fakehistoryhunter.net/2025/11/23/g... or here: fakehistoryhunter.substack.com/p/game-revie...
positive · AI labelView post →Some friends invited me to the beach today but I just started playing a game called Manor Lords which is like Medieval Sims and I’ve been hooked on it all weekend. Figured I should full send and just stay in my apartment and play it all day today as well. I’ll get back to social things tomorrow 😎
positive · AI labelView post →I debated on buying this game for a while. And even though this review is a yes to buy it, I have a few things I want to mention. First, the developer has created a game that is extremely accurate to the historical medieval period. This doesn't lend well to the modern gaming mindset. This game is something only a history nerd like myself can get into, I feel like your average gamer is going to get a taste of it and move on. Second, the developer has spent a lot of time making this game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The mechanics and gameplay here are solid -- I consider this one of the better city builders in my library based on how intuitive the system is. However, after 7 years of early access... and especially as a developer myself -- why are devs still refining the pathfinding and balance? There is no decent upgrading past houses/artisanship, and the castle mechanics are completely empty. That part was extremely disappointing solely given how long this game has been out. If you are okay with a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm sitting at about 115 hrs and there is a lot I could say about this game but I will try to keep it as short and sweet as possible. I LOVE the concept of this game (city builder / RTS / economy & resource management / I can grow wheat and bake bread) it literally scratches multiple itches for me. At first I was really excited to learn how devoted and active the devs are...but at times it seems like a curse for this game. There have been several overhauls of systems (I'm happy to see the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I hate this industry sometimes.... From linked in, Manor Lords - A GAME MADE BY ONE PERSON - is not a failure because it hasn't grown into the biggest game ever and the developer didn't make enough content. They sold 2 million copies of a $30 game. IT WAS MADE BY ONE PERSON
neutral · AI labelView post →good game development is going at a fairly slow pace though. I wish they´d post a roadmap for future releases.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ah, yes. Manor Lords. My favorite horror game.
negative · AI labelView post →90% of each update is them making it harder to produce things and making a game that already takes awhile to make a sizable town take even longer, I want to see my town grow, not stagnate due to every update nerfing production. (I play the beta release exclusively)
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Videogame Recommendation: if you like historical city-builders and managing resources you have to try Manor Lords. It is set in 14th century Franconia (in modern Germany) and it is very well researched. Plus the soundtrack is amazing. In my playthrough the House of the Magpie is old and strong ºvº
positive · AI labelView post →Something needs to be done about owning multiple settlements. Once you own a second the game becomes completely unmanageable. Trying to take care of two different settlements is impossible. Let alone take over the whole map, which is given to you as an option but not possible to do. Not even close. That game is fun until then though.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dear Devs: THANK YOU FOR THE PERFECT GAME. This is literally everything I have ever wanted. It is like the ideal combination of Civilization, Tiny Glade, and the Sims, and even a touch of what I wish Animal Crossing could be. The medieval art is to die for. The historical references are amazing. The realism is unmatched. I rate this 1000000+ stars, I'm not even kidding, I am recommending this for all the girlies who want a cozy, romantic medieval builder with beautiful scenery and the best…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolutely amazing game. I'm interested more in the city building part as I don't care much about the conquest and wars and etc, and the mechanics for city building are fantastic. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Star Citizen of city builders. Looked complete enough to get a LOT of people to pay for it - now that it's made its money, the game won't be finished. What is getting added is low quality. Clearly no more fuel in the tank with these guys, don't get scammed.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game 'Manor Lords' is currently on sale through Steam, 35% discount! I very much recommend it. store.steampowered.com/app/1363080/... Here's my review: fakehistoryhunter.net/2025/11/23/g... & here; fakehistoryhunter.substack.com/p/game-revie...
positive · AI labelView post →10/8/25 As of typing this right now I cannot recommend this game in its current state. With the more recent "beta" It may have introduced some much desired features but it has introduced even more bugs than before. It is less functional than before. It honestly feels like more of a step back than it does forward. You have butchers that will cull your entire live stock. Clothes disappear faster than your paycheck than when bills arrive Upgrading your mines causes them to produce 75% less of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just started Manor Lords and hooooly shit. My mind can't fathom how it can be a Solo-Dev. True work of Art. I now feel confidenvt tackling my next project in 7 years. And to give a shot to what I think I'd love: to make an RTS/City Builder game.
positive · AI labelView post →This game is parallel to 7 Days to Die for me. Clearly has the potential to be one of the most fun games ever with plenty of fun unique aspects that draw you in. .... However you are waiting absolutely forever on that mythical day where the "Big Update" comes and makes the game the full realization of what it is supposed to be. I understand this is a passion project and things take time, I just hope I'm alive when you guys finally finish the game so I can play it lol.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i was recently playing Manor Lords (medieval city builder game), and you can plant orchards with quinces. i had no idea what quinces are, but i randomly spotted them at the market today, so i had to impulse buy them but uhhh, anyone any idea what i can make with quinces?
neutral · AI labelView post →I guess it would be a little too dramatic to say this game is bordering on Scam-ware... Buuuut, it's been in early access for over 2 years at this point, and--granted, I didn't play for the first *year* after I bought it--it has made seemingly no progress on development. It's playable. It's not bare bones, but it's thin. I've played 30 hrs, which is VERY short for me to play a game, and I feel like there's just not enough there. Long story long, development has been slow to non-existent.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game, when finished, will probably be very good if the early access is anything to go by. I have concerns about how the RTS and city-builder elements sort of act like oil and water in the current iteration of the game however...neither part really adds anything meaningful to the other part; the combat, while simple and intuitive, isn't terribly compelling and you're more worried about having to deal with the approval debuff from having bodies lying around than you are with actually…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Written in 2020 but still an interesting read. I wonder what the author thinks of games that have released in the intervening years, like Manor Lords, Going Medieval, and Farthest Frontier?
neutral · AI labelView post →inside are three wolf Wolf 1: maybe we could try a video game if it's extremely low cognitive load Wolf 2: eww no. no video games. only couch. Wolf 3: Manor Lords has a new beta up
neutral · AI labelView post →If you've ever played the game Banished, you're gunna like this game. It's currently in early access, meaning there are a lot of features that are not implemented yet, but in its current state it is very playable. The Good A very calming and relaxing colony builder. You can configure each session to several scenarios. A free play mode that's really just about expanding and building a kingdom, a "normal" mode with an AI on the map which will try to claim all of the available territories, and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.