Going Medieval Reviews

Going Medieval: A Refreshingly Vertical Take on the City-Building Genre In an ever-crowded landscape of city-building and survival simulations, Going Medieval, developed by Foxy Voxel and published by The Irregular Corporation, emerges not merely as another contender, but as a distinctly innovative and captivating experience. Currently navigating the Early Access phase on Steam, this title has already carved out a notable niche for itself, primarily through its ingenious approach to vertical construction and deeply engaging colony management. Set against the grim backdrop of 14th-century Europe ravaged by plague, Going Medieval casts players as leaders of a fledgling group of survivors. The core gameplay loop revolves around establishing and expanding a self-sufficient settlement, ensuring the survival and prosperity of your villagers. However, where Going Medieval truly distinguishes itself is in its masterful implementation of verticality. Unlike many games in the genre that confine construction primarily to the horizontal plane, this title empowers players to build multi-story fortresses and sprawling vertical settlements. This feature is not simply a cosmetic addition; it fundamentally alters the strategic and creative dimensions of the game. Resource management, defense, and even aesthetic design are all intricately interwoven with the vertical axis, presenting a fresh and intellectually stimulating challenge for genre veterans and newcomers alike. Beyond its innovative construction mechanics, Going Medieval excels in its detailed and nuanced colony management. Each villager possesses individual needs, desires, and skills, demanding attentive micromanagement to maintain their happiness and productivity. From ensuring adequate food and shelter to catering to their social and recreational needs, the game presents a compelling and intricate web of interdependent systems. Furthermore, the looming threats of raiders and environmental hazards necessitate robust defensive strategies, compelling players to thoughtfully design and fortify their settlements. Visually, Going Medieval presents a charmingly stylized medieval world. While not aiming for photorealism, the game's aesthetic is both appealing and functional, effectively conveying the harsh yet beautiful environment of the era. The user interface is intuitive, allowing for streamlined control over complex systems, a crucial aspect for games of this depth. Despite being in Early Access, Going Medieval already exhibits a remarkable level of polish and content depth. While further development promises to expand upon its already robust foundations, the current state of the game is unequivocally engaging and replayable. The innovative vertical building, combined with deep colony management and a compelling medieval setting, creates an experience that is both strategically challenging and creatively fulfilling. Going Medieval is not just another city-builder; it is a refreshing and innovative iteration within the genre. Its vertical construction mechanic is a stroke of genius, adding a significant layer of strategic depth and creative expression. Coupled with its intricate colony management and engaging medieval setting, Going Medieval is a title that resonates deeply with fans of simulation and strategy games. While still in Early Access, it boldly stakes its claim as an essential experience for those seeking a truly unique and rewarding city-building adventure. Highly recommended.

A great medieval take on games like Rimworld or Dwarf Fortress. It may be somewhat simpler than those (although features are still being added). But that doesn't take away from my enjoyment. It feels solid and polished, despite still being in development. It's (usually) not that challenging, but losing sight of your food supply or neglecting your defenses can still quickly spiral into failure. On the other hand, it provides plenty of opportunities for some relaxed sandbox gameplay. The developers are great as well. Taking community feedback into account and providing support when necessary. Overall a great experience.

Lost ALL my saves and there wasn't even an update. I get the game in is in early access but this really sucks. I spent so many hours in this game and was having fun but this is not worth it if the game is this buggy and broken, even after 3 years of early access.

This game needs so much work, I can't see why it's so highly rated. Go play rimworld, it's actually 'a game'.

Sadly I've come to find out that it's just really shallow and boring at the moment. Was hoping after these couple of years that there'd be way more content, or at least the modding scene would be more expansive. But no, not even the modders seem interested in this, just really basic stuff all around.

Picked it up a year or so ago. Played an hour or two. Decided it needed more time in the oven. Saw the latest update and thought I'd give it another try... I'll let my hours played tell you more. Performance issues abound. Has lots of wonk. Don't expect Rimworld or Dwarf Fortress. I hope the Dev's can continue to build on its strong foundation.

Right now it is just Rimworld with missing features and a medieval skin. And when I say this I do not say it lightly. Many of the UI elements and fundamental game design features are directly taken from Rimworld, with very little to separate it into it's own game. From the workers tab, the UI around your people, resource gathering, the map, caravan mechanics, etc. It is all just Rimworld with a medieval skin and no originality. The roadmap doesn't seem to have much to improve this situation, as the features that they are planning to add also are just watered down and less complete Rimworld features. If you are choosing between this and Rimworld, go Rimworld. It's just a better version of this.

This game has been out for more than 4 years. It crashes upon launching and creating new games more often than not. I tried to ignore the reviews talking about how the devs have not added anything but bug fixes. Game companies need to get back into the habit of releasing finished games.

Decided to give this game a go after it has been in my bought games list for some time now. Boght it a while back since it reminded me a mix of the games RimWold + Timber And Stone. My goodness, it feels a good game for an Alpha phase. Think i only had like two crashes in the 90 in-game hours. I played an easy game but the first winter was still challenging. After i learned some tricks, built some shacks and an underground kitchen and leveled up my tech, it started to go uphill. There is always something to do in the game. Next thing you know the sun starts to come up irl outside :/ After watching TactiCat youtube video, i decided to build my own moat and a gatehouse castle with the portcullis and all. After arming my men with heavy crossbows no enemies have reached inside! Easy battles - maybe even too easy. In the future, i hope the battle mechanics keeps getting better. For example they should attack together or in different sides. Currently they trickle in one by one and they also get shot one by one. I was afraid they would build their own brides over the ditches or bring ladders to climb my walls - or even dig through them... But no, they just pick the easiest route - meaning the one that is full of traps and leads them to a killbox that is guarded by crossbows on three sides. Also would love to see some additions such as ledgers to farming plots to mark when to start sowing and cutting, or to be able to set production levels while selecting multiple production stations (icebox and brick-maker comes to mind). Maybe nerf apple tree production a bit. Overall, a game with very high potential that is playable in its alfa state. Hope it gets more additions in the future.

It's fun. A simpler, easier Rimworld. But honestly, it's a bit TOO easy. Especially as you can build in 3D, allowing you to manipulate terrain to force attackers into a killbox. The 3D aspect is also a positive, for settlement building etc. So ups and downs. Literally.