Going Medieval

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 7,098 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Going Medieval Game Cover
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"Going Medieval" is a single-player historical open world game with a good plot and atmospheric graphics, set in a post-calamity age where you must help survivors rebuild society. Construct and expand your fortress using 3D terrain tools, and defend your colony against external threats in this open-ended, replayable experience, despite its grinding and optimization issues.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 7,098 reviews
gameplay210 positive mentions
grinding137 negative mentions
  • Engaging gameplay with a mix of building, resource management, and survival elements.
  • Active development with frequent updates and community engagement from the developers.
  • Unique 3D building mechanics that allow for vertical construction and terraforming.
  • AI pathfinding issues lead to settlers getting stuck and inefficient task completion.
  • Limited content and features in early access, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • Performance issues, especially with larger settlements, causing lag and crashes.
  • gameplay807 mentions

    The gameplay of "Going Medieval" has drawn numerous comparisons to "RimWorld," with many mechanics feeling familiar yet adapted to a 3D medieval setting. Players appreciate the building mechanics and the depth of management involved, but many express frustration over the game's current lack of content, AI issues, and some clunky mechanics, particularly regarding task prioritization and camera controls. While the game shows promise with its unique features and regular updates, it is still considered to be in early access, with significant room for improvement in gameplay depth and variety.

    • “The gameplay is fresh and exciting, and the developers do a very good job of communicating their intentions!”
    • “The blend of fortress construction, land reclamation, dynamic raids, and villager management creates a harmonious symphony of gameplay that is both challenging and rewarding.”
    • “The mechanics are smooth and it plays well.”
    • “Gameplay and camera is horrible.”
    • “Missing priorities for jobs; settlers put something into an intermediate stockpile and leave it there instead of putting it away to the final stockpile.”
    • “The gameplay is a little shallow, but I'm looking forward to the features to come!”
  • graphics449 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the charming, stylized art style and the immersive 3D environments that enhance the building mechanics. However, some users have noted performance issues, such as lag and crashes, particularly on lower-end hardware, and have expressed a desire for further graphical polish and optimization. Overall, while the visuals are generally considered an improvement over similar titles like RimWorld, there are still areas for enhancement to fully realize the game's aesthetic potential.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, and the attention to detail in the environments and characters is impressive.”
    • “The aesthetic aspect of building your own structures is actually really novel and different than all other survival sims.”
    • “The graphics are charming and simple, and quite nice to look at.”
    • “The graphics are basic and blocky.”
    • “From the very start, the graphics put you off.”
    • “The biggest flaw of the game is the graphics.”
  • story159 mentions

    The game's story aspect is largely seen as lacking, with many players noting the absence of a structured narrative or engaging quests, which diminishes the overall experience compared to titles like RimWorld. While players appreciate the ability to create their own stories through character customization and emergent gameplay, they express a desire for more dynamic events and deeper storytelling elements to enhance immersion. Overall, the game is viewed as a promising sandbox with potential, but it currently falls short in delivering a compelling narrative.

    • “I see some unique story elements already in the early stages of the game, like getting a new colonist, then having someone try to extort me to give her back and launching a raid when I refuse.”
    • “The game’s dynamic storytelling, where every decision shapes the destiny of your medieval settlers, adds a compelling layer.”
    • “I love how unique your various villagers are and all the writing for their perks and backstory flavor.”
    • “The current story events are bland: 'person has escaped from prison, help them and suffer a raid or get a mental debuff', 'one religion doesn't like you so they sent a raiding party', 'bandits show up to take your stuff', etc.”
    • “There is little in the way of engrossing story or narrative.”
    • “If you, like me, enjoy playing colony sims to see families develop, generations pass, and see storylines develop over a long period of time, find a different game.”
  • grinding144 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and requiring significant micromanagement, particularly in farming and resource management. While some enjoy the depth and complexity of managing a settlement, others feel that the repetitive tasks and slow progression detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers engaging building and farming mechanics, but the grind can become overwhelming, especially as settlements grow larger.

    • “It's not too grindy but also not too quick with progression.”
    • “Building feels easy, resource gathering can be difficult but not grindy, feels simple to play at first (to a RimWorld player anyway) but there is really a lot going on.”
    • “Having entire rooms or pre-built buildings would be nice as well given how tedious it can be to build any kind of complex structure.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The entire game is built around a handful of villagers who have to do everything -- often without the right skills -- and quickly becomes about very tedious micromanagement.”
    • “Progression is really slow and grindy.”
  • optimization136 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, especially as colony size increases. While some users acknowledge that the game shows potential and has room for improvement, the current state is marked by stuttering, high GPU usage, and crashes, particularly in late-game scenarios. Overall, players express hope for future updates to address these optimization challenges, but many recommend waiting until the game is more polished before purchasing.

    • “It would easily go up much higher with an update focused on performance improvements (AI pathing, asset culling, water physics improvements, tone down the performance hit during hailstorms and blizzards), and one other update focused on quality of life content additions like more types of rooms, hospitality so we can charge rent for visitors in a tavern/inn, definitely more crop types and decorative pieces.”
    • “The game has been in early access for over 3 years, and has pre-alpha optimization.”
    • “A lot of optimization has happened, so kudos there.”
    • “Performance is somewhat abysmal, but there's almost certainly room for optimization.”
    • “Unfortunately, for now, the performance becomes sub-par after accumulating just 6 settlers.”
    • “The pathfinding for colonists works great but it comes at the cost of the game becoming unplayable (stuttering becomes so severe you cannot do anything) after you have a larger colony due to your CPU not being able to keep up with all the pathfinding logic going on.”
  • stability112 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly during combat and when managing settlers. While some players have experienced minimal problems, the overall consensus is that the game remains in a frustratingly buggy state, especially for an early access title, leading to a mixed experience that can detract from gameplay enjoyment. Despite its potential, players recommend waiting for further updates and fixes before fully committing to the game.

    • “I think it looks great, runs great, haven't had any issues.”
    • “It's been stable and very bug free on my mid-level setup.”
    • “The game is mostly bug free (that is, there are bugs but nothing that really blows the game up) and I like how the combat system works.”
    • “First of all, the combat is currently the worst aspect of this game. It is largely RNG-based, very buggy, and very frustrating. Every time there is a combat situation, I have to repeatedly load saves because a settler has been one-hit killed or something else has gone wrong. This leads to the combat becoming a massive drag.”
    • “Whenever loading the game, it either freezes on the loading 'Foxy Voxel' screen or gets stuck saying 'an error has occurred' and just remains stuck on the main menu attempting to send an error report.”
    • “The game is fun, but it's janky and mildly buggy. The AI of villagers is a bit buggy at the moment on larger maps, which the developers have said they plan to fix in the future.”
  • music100 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a charming medieval soundtrack. However, many players express a desire for more variety and depth, noting that the current tracks can become repetitive and lack engagement. While some find the music a perfect backdrop for gameplay, others suggest it could benefit from further development to elevate the game's immersive qualities.

    • “Whoever composed the music knows their stuff!”
    • “Charming soundtrack and audio.”
    • “The music is quite nice and it's good and simple.”
    • “I do wish there was more variation available in terms of in-game music.”
    • “The soundtrack is underwhelming and repetitive.”
    • “The music is the worst part of the game but lucky you can mute it if it gets too much.”
  • replayability73 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players enjoying the variety of gameplay options, scenarios, and customization features. Despite being in early access, it offers substantial content and potential for endless replayability, although some users note that it could benefit from additional features and challenges to enhance long-term engagement. Frequent updates and community feedback are seen as positive factors contributing to its replay value.

    • “I usually get about 60 hours of gameplay per session with the game's current mechanics, and for me, it has nearly endless replayability at that amount of hours in a session.”
    • “The game is infinitely replayable, and definitely worth buying at full price.”
    • “This game has next to nothing, being only one year old, but it is incredibly chill and replayable.”
    • “However, in its current state, it is missing many of the finer features of those games that give them infinite replay value.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it was fun at first, but there is no replayability in the design.”
    • “Needs a ton more content for it to increase its replay value.”
  • humor26 mentions

    The humor in the game is often derived from its quirky AI behaviors and inefficient task management, leading to amusing scenarios that players find entertaining. Many reviews highlight the comedic potential in naming villagers and the humorous backstories of settlers, while some bugs and oddities add to the overall charm. Despite some criticisms, the game's ability to evoke laughter and provide lighthearted moments is consistently praised.

    • “Gather 'round as I regale thee with my tale of 'Going Medieval,' a game that'll have thee laughing 'til thy sides ache!”
    • “Tasks are queued up in a hilariously inefficient order, with a single hauler running back and forth multiple times to gather up piles of sticks instead of taking the shortest path to the next pile of sticks.”
    • “My opinion - fabulous game & props to the devs, this game had me laughing, crying & feeling alive, started the game in its infant stages and grew with it over time.”
    • “The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
    • “I expected more clever humor, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
    • “The attempts at comedy just made me roll my eyes.”
  • atmosphere19 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, immersive medieval setting, and effective sound design, which together create a relaxing yet engaging experience. Players appreciate the dynamic weather, seasonal changes, and the cozy ambiance that enhances gameplay, while the presence of merchants and the ability to build settlements add depth to the overall atmosphere. Overall, the combination of aesthetic elements and atmospheric effects contributes significantly to the enjoyment and longevity of the game.

    • “The atmosphere, weather, and lighting are beautiful.”
    • “The shadows from the clouds moving overhead, the plants changing based on the season, the weather events, and the overall 'warmth' and atmosphere of the game is very nice and can be relaxing.”
    • “Great and relaxing atmosphere while at times can be intense, the game really does it all when it comes to having pure fun.”
    • “While not really varied all that much, the music does give atmosphere to the game without pulling you out of the experience.”
    • “And they really add to the atmosphere where you have to protect your people behind strong walls.”
    • “Aside from that, this game has a very cozy atmosphere and I am certain the possibility to expand above and below ground makes for a fun game.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mixed emotional experience, with some players feeling a lack of depth and connection, while others express strong emotional attachments to characters and the game's community. The absence of meaningful interactions and the need for more engaging gameplay elements detract from the overall emotional impact for some, while others appreciate the wholesome aesthetics and well-executed systems that foster attachment and investment in the game world.

    • “I knew their dress style and preferences, actually knew their personalities, had an emotional attachment to certain citizens' growth and well-being.”
    • “This is kind of heartbreaking honestly since I personally like to build a lot.”
    • “The systems for combat, social, item storage, medicine, emotional, decay, agriculture, and crafting are not only well executed but are, in my opinion, the gold standard for how this genre can be done.”
  • monetization10 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy is heavily criticized for prioritizing aggressive advertising and cash grabs over meaningful content updates and player engagement. Many users feel that the focus on faceless characters in ads detracts from the game's potential, leading to disappointment and frustration with the lack of new features. Overall, players express a desire for more investment in game development rather than excessive promotional efforts.

    • “They usually either walk away on a cash grab or flounder with a successful launch money and not put effort into enlisting a pro dev team and sit on fat stacks not doing their customers justice.”
    • “The game has so much potential, but it's just a fast cash grab.”
    • “A tech demo, a cash grab, and then a fast getaway.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in this game is largely lacking, with players noting a minimal focus on individual character traits or personalities that would influence gameplay. While the game excels in city-building mechanics, it fails to provide the depth of character interaction and development found in other titles, leaving some players wishing for more nuanced character dynamics. Overall, the absence of robust character development detracts from the potential for strategic decision-making based on unique character attributes.

    • “You have character development, survival, building, strategy, and crafting all together.”
    • “As much as I love this game so far, the one thing it is missing is the character development and the different personalities of each character, which would cause you to rethink how to build and where to room individuals. In RimWorld, I felt like I knew every single citizen in the game.”
    • “A pure city/settlement builder--no character development or role playing to speak of.”
    • “As much as I love this game so far, the one thing it is missing is the character development and the different personalities of each character to cause you to re-think how to build, where to room individuals, etc. In RimWorld, I feel like I knew every single citizen in the game.”
    • “Good game if you like city building sims, I like everything except for the low poly character designs. Maybe there will be a separate version of the game in the near future that includes fully rendered characters, even if it's in the art style of the developers' choice.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

24hMedian play time
77hAverage play time
10-68hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 105 analyzed playthroughs

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