There seems to be a big influx of medieval games at the minute, but I feel like few will truly embody the power fantasy of being a medieval ruler like Liegecraft. Why? Well, it fuses together the relentless empire expansion of strategy games like Civilization with all the decision making, interactions, and storytelling you’d expect to see in an RPG.
Ambitious is certainly the word I’d use to describe Liegecraft, as there is an awful lot going on at once. A 4X game at its core, the first thing you’ll clock are the Civ-style hexes layered on top of your small inherited kingdom and the lands around it. Naturally, you are expected to gradually expand your empire and you can even set sail to foreign lands too. Resources will need to be acquired, essential buildings will need to be erected, and any existing settlements in your way will need to be conquered.
As you expand, you will attempt to recruit a loyal following that will willingly serve you. The most loyal members of your kingdom are the ones you’ll want to keep on side, so be sure to reward them with increasingly important titles, land, or anything else you can to maintain their devotion to you. Send vassals into battles against other kingdoms, or send your noblemen to engage in diplomatic relations. Should you encounter anyone who falters in their loyalty then, well, you know what to do.
Much like the NPCs you’ll meet in RPGs, each person you encounter will have different personalities and outlooks – so, you may have two extremely loyal followers, but one is a hot-head with a thirst for violence, while another may be more of a pacifist. As a result, choose your words wisely and manage their needs carefully.
Plenty more RPG elements are interwoven into Liegecraft’s 4X tapestry, including real time events where the in-the-moment decisions and interactions you make can have major consequences on your gameplay later down the line. These include hunts, feasts, and dungeon explorations, so again, use a bit of tact when choosing your interactions.
That’s a lot of features to cram in, so there is always a danger that overreaching will cause some aspects to be a bit underwhelming – especially when you find out that developer From Chaos is made up of just five people. However, there’s plenty of strategy and RPG pedigree in there, as the team includes some former CD Projekt Red, 11 bit studios, and Paradox Interactive devs. That certainly fills me with confidence that Liegecraft can deliver.
Liegecraft is aiming to launch in early access at some point in 2025. That’s all we know about its release plans at the moment, but you can learn more about the game and throw it a wishlist right here.
For more titles like Liegecraft, you’ll definitely want to check out our best medieval games and best strategy games guides.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.