Going Medieval Early Access Preview

I love trying out new City Builder games. I tend to enjoy playing them to relax or even just exploring and creatively building up a new community. Sometimes I find games that I can just play and enjoy like Islanders, where sometimes games take a bit more thought and effort. Going Medieval falls into the latter category.

The premise of Going Medieval is interesting and sets it apart from other City Builders. In the world of Going Medieval, the Black Plague has wiped out 95% of the world’s population and nature reclaimed things before the modern age. Now it is up to you to guide a group of survivors to build up a fortress settlement.

You will not only build up your fortress, but you will protect it from outlaws, barbarians, and others who seek to take your resources for themselves. Going Medieval not only has you build the city, but it also puts you in charge of settlers, each with their own skills, strengths, and weaknesses. You clothe them, outfit them with weapons, tools, and other necessities, then put them to work and help them survive.

As this game is in Early Access, it is a little rough around the edges. I personally think that the tutorial is a bit hands-off and should be a bit more upfront for people who are unfamiliar with the way the game plays. There is a built-in almanac that you can use to reference tutorials, but it doesn’t really help you get started, so much as it teaches you how things should work.

It is interesting that every settler you are in charge of has strengths and weaknesses. They also have their own motives and backstory, which is a great touch. There is a bit of a learning curve to controlling characters and even building. However, I can see the vision that the developers have here, and I think it is interesting.

Admittedly, I didn’t dig as deep as I could have as I played. However, I wanted this to be a first-impressions-style preview because going into too much detail would spoil some of the discovery for fans of the genre. The idea of your world evolving over time, giving you the opportunity to bring in new settlers by helping people in trouble, is interesting.

There is also the idea of building your settlement, then defending it using traps and defenses you’ve built. On top of that, the idea of researching new gear and equipment for your settlers leaves room for a deep progression system.

Furthermore, I think the idea of giving settlers their own backstory, history, agenda, and emotional state makes Going Medieval perfect for video footage. I could see a lot of creators using this game to create either funny or dramatic video content. It almost seems similar to The Sims in that regard, using the game as almost a blank slate for storytelling.

With multiple game modes (Standard, Peaceful, and Survival) as well as multiple difficulty levels, Going Medieval is versatile and perfect for any skill level or type of player. Do you want more of a survival-focused experience? Play the survival mode. On the other hand, Peaceful will give you something with more of a focus on the community itself. Standard has you balance both extremes, and since each mode has multiple difficulty settings, you can tailor your experience accordingly.

There are some bugs that are being addressed, and there is more to come in terms of content thanks to the game being in Early Access. With this in mind, I think Going Medieval is very promising. I think as time goes on it could build up a nice little niche for itself. Personally, I think in this stage it needs more of a guiding hand (or the option of one) for a tutorial, but with enough time and effort you can figure things out.

If you’re a fan of City Builders, games with survival elements, or something in between, Going Medieval is perfect for you. The development team has lofty plans for the game too, so now is definitely the time to give it a look and see if it is something you might want to try.

An Early Access PC key of Going Medieval was provided by The Irregular Corporation for this preview.