Citadels

About

"Citadels" is a single-player historical strategy game set in the time of King Arthur, with lousy graphics and known bugs. Construct and manage impregnable fortresses, equip them with defense structures, and units to crush enemy hordes. Your strategy and resource management will determine victory or defeat in extensive campaigns that provide insight into both sides of the war.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

13%

Audience ScoreBased on 275 reviews

humor3 positive mentions

stability20 negative mentions

Some players found the game enjoyable despite its flaws, appreciating the concept and potential it has.
A few users reported that the game runs well on certain systems, particularly on Linux, without crashing.
The game has been compared favorably to other titles in the genre, with some players expressing a preference for it over other RTS games.

The game is plagued by constant crashes and bugs, making it nearly unplayable for many users.
There is a lack of support and updates from the developers, leading to frustration among players who feel the game is abandoned.
The user interface and AI are poorly designed, resulting in a frustrating gameplay experience with unresponsive controls and unintuitive mechanics.

stability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
87%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of frequent freezes, bugs, and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many users express frustration over incomplete mechanics and inconsistent performance, particularly in later levels, leading to a generally negative perception of its development quality. While some players find enjoyment in the game despite these issues, the overwhelming consensus is that the stability problems make it difficult to recommend.
- “I have just completed my first mission with no glitches, crashes, or problems of any kind.”
- “You can increase the unit count in skirmish maps (the maximum was 99, now it's 149). The campaign, which is almost bug-free in terms of completion, is easy enough with the current 99 cap, in my opinion.”
- “Not to say it's bug-free yet.”
- “Too many bugs and glitches that it hurts my wallet.”
- “Bought this years ago and it's still a buggy piece of software.”
- “Game is buggy and horribly developed; I really wish I had read reviews instead of buying on impulse.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The game's story has received mixed feedback, with many players struggling to engage due to frequent bugs and mission failures that disrupt gameplay. While some appreciate the initial concept and find the storyline intriguing, others criticize it for being underdeveloped and lacking replayability. Overall, technical issues overshadow the narrative experience, leading to frustration and diminished enjoyment.
- “The story is way too good; it's like mixing Call of Duty with The Notebook.”
- “A good bit of fun, low-level storyline, but freedom is good.”
- “I really enjoyed the initial concept of the game; however, the game has multiple glitches from peasants not building defenses and just standing around to graphics problems with walls, and last but not least, the campaign quests work maybe 75% of the time.”
- “Couldn't really get into the storyline, and I found the replayability (even in story mode) to be a tad underdeveloped.”
- “What really drives me away from this game every time are the crashing bugs. I have been stuck on that one mission for about half of the time I've played this game (the one where you have a couple of villages to help and a big enemy citadel to take down - I think it's the 3rd mission or so).”
- “From bugs that won't allow you to finish campaign missions, to AI-controlled units that you have no good way of tracking or knowing if they have completed a task.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
56%
28%
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users citing terrible mechanics, slow pacing, and numerous bugs that hinder the experience. While some appreciate the unique control options and resource management, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is confusing, poorly designed, and lacks engaging content, making it feel outdated and unpolished.
- “The gameplay is mostly the same, but you can control each warrior, you have more choice in building, more resources to gather, etc.”
- “Don't expect this to look like Starcraft II, but the gameplay is smooth and unique.”
- “(Units are still a bit too silent for my liking, not game-breaking though) there are still some things that aren't explained fully during gameplay, (the upgrade button comes to mind) but most of those are easy enough to figure out on your own.”
- “The gameplay is extremely slow and I did not find this game fun at all.”
- “Dreadful, poor gameplay and overall boring.”
- “The boring gameplay, poor design, and lack of content leave little reason for me to play any further.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
31%
46%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their low quality, with many reviewers noting that they resemble outdated titles from the early 2000s. Players have reported numerous glitches and poor user interface design, detracting from the overall experience. While some appreciate the nostalgic feel, the consensus is that the graphics are subpar and in need of significant improvement.
- “The graphics, combat, and physics are cleaner and smoother, making for a much better experience.”
- “The graphics are reminiscent of 'Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth II'.”
- “Essentially, if this game came out in 2004, it would have been amazing, but it plays like a game from then with some updated graphics.”
- “Extremely bad graphics (screenshots look like a completely different game).”
- “39.99 for a meh graphics engine.”
- “The graphics are low quality, the UI is badly programmed, and there is no tutorial, making it difficult to learn how to play.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players report that a significant portion of gameplay, approximately 10%, involves passive card farming, indicating a heavy reliance on grinding mechanics that may detract from the overall experience.
- “1/10 of my playtime is spent on AFK card farming.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “I spend more time grinding for resources than actually playing the game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users feel that the game's replayability is lacking, particularly in story mode, as the storyline fails to engage them, leading to a less compelling reason to replay.
- “I couldn't really get into the storyline, and I found the replayability (even in story mode) to be a tad underdeveloped.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage me to replay it; once you've seen the story, there's not much incentive to go back.”
- “After finishing the game, I felt no urge to replay it, as the experience was linear and didn't offer any new perspectives.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is perceived as somewhat cynical, with players suggesting that the developers are likely reveling in their financial success rather than focusing on delivering a quality experience.
- “The developers are probably enjoying all that money and laughing on a beach somewhere.”
- “The humor in this game is so clever and unexpected; it had me laughing out loud!”
- “I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue and funny situations that keep the experience light-hearted.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting performance issues and crashes, indicating that the developers are aware of these problems but have yet to provide effective solutions.
- “Their forum is loaded with complaints about poor performance and crashing, to which they state that they are aware.”
- “The game frequently stutters and lags, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “Despite having a high-end PC, I still experience frame drops and long loading times.”