Lords and Villeins

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In "Lords and Villeins," players govern a new land and manage a feudal economy, with the ability to zone out plots, build houses, and set taxation policies. Families, each with their own profession and business, operate autonomously, while players must balance supply and demand, secure resources, and maintain stability. The game offers a complex simulation of markets and city-building within a sophisticated feudal system.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 790 reviews

gameplay42 positive mentions

optimization12 negative mentions

Unique take on the colony sim genre with a focus on family dynamics and economic management.
Engaging gameplay that allows for creative town building and resource management.
Active developer support with regular updates and responsiveness to community feedback.

AI pathfinding issues and villagers often fail to complete tasks, leading to frustration.
Economy balance is off, with certain professions becoming overly reliant on player intervention.
The tutorial is lengthy and can be confusing, making it difficult for new players to grasp core mechanics.

gameplay
168 mentions
25 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Lords & Villeins" features a complex and often challenging set of mechanics that require significant time to master, with a steep learning curve that some players find rewarding. While the game offers unique elements like economic simulation, crime management, and a detailed feudal system, many users note that the tutorial is lacking and the mechanics can be confusing or frustrating, particularly due to AI issues and unfinished features. Overall, the game shows promise with its depth and originality, but it suffers from polish and balance issues that can detract from the experience.
- “This game has more in-depth mechanics and gameplay opportunities than it displays on first glance.”
- “Great mechanics of simulation worth the huge learning curve to master it and enjoy it after you follow the very well made campaign that helps you with that.”
- “The draw of the game, in my opinion, is the market mechanics, where villagers will buy and sell goods and it has real-world economic behavior of supply and demand.”
- “Game mechanics are very difficult to understand.”
- “The tutorial is also very lackluster, and takes way too long to complete. There are lots of mechanics in the game that have no real explanation, and the in-game help seems to only cover things from when the game was first released, with no information on mechanics since updates.”
- “There is a great amount of potential in this game, just be aware that the version I played got boring because there were almost no challenges present and the core gameplay loop was build a house and work zone for a family, wait for another family to arrive, build a house and work zone for the new family, rinse and repeat.”
optimization
46 mentions
7 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
26 % negative mentions
Overall, players report significant optimization issues, particularly in late-game scenarios and with larger towns, leading to frame rate drops and stuttering. Many users express frustration over the game's inability to utilize more CPU resources effectively, and there are calls for urgent bug fixes and performance updates. While some recent updates have improved stability, the consensus remains that the game feels unfinished and requires further optimization to meet player expectations.
- “I would also like to see additional optimizations for larger population sizes, especially for the larger maps.”
- “Of course that'll be difficult, but I'd love to make a proper huge city one day if the optimization is ever able to get to that point.”
- “I definitely want bigger maps with steady performance.”
- “There are frame rate drops that cause long periods of stuttering, which becomes extra frustrating knowing the game refuses to use more than 30% of my CPU (please, go ahead! Use more, game!).”
- “So while the game is fun, I cannot say I 'recommend' it when it claims to be '1.0' and 'fully released' when it feels beta at best, with a lack of polish and the optimization it currently has.”
- “But currently, it's simply not possible due to memory leaks and bad optimization.”
grinding
42 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow, tedious, and lacking in engagement, with many expressing frustration over the cumbersome UI and inefficient food production systems. The complexity of production chains and the need for multiple family roles to manage basic tasks contribute to a sense of monotony, leading some to recommend waiting for improvements before purchasing. Overall, the grinding experience detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the game.
- “It's slow and tedious with no reason to interact with the game for extended periods of time.”
- “The UI makes these issues so much more tedious as shortcuts to family needs just don't exist and the alert system also sucks.”
- “It is simple tedious stuff like this which has changed my review from 'definite buy' to 'stay away for at least another six months to see if they finally come to their senses'.”
graphics
40 mentions
10 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the outdated and clunky art style, while others appreciate its unique charm and seasonal distinctiveness. Many feel that the pixel art does not align well with the game's complex mechanics, leading to confusion for new players. Overall, while there are aesthetic issues and glitches, the graphics are considered pleasant by some, especially for fans of retro-style city builders.
- “The game offers some nice graphics and environments, although some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same and has a really great aesthetic.”
- “I love the art style, and the way each of the seasons feels distinct and real.”
- “The graphics are simple and robust, making it easy to recognize things and to find anything you are looking for.”
- “The game is very clunky and graphics-wise it just feels outdated and ugly.”
- “It's not what I expected, especially the graphics are too bad for this price.”
- “While the game emphasizes poverty and riches, there seems to be minimal room to truly reflect that in the art style.”
story
36 mentions
11 % positive mentions
81 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The game's story is perceived as lacking depth, with many players feeling it functions more as a simulator than a narrative-driven experience. The campaign serves primarily as a tutorial, but it suffers from broken missions and insufficient guidance, leading to frustration. Comparisons to other games highlight its shortcomings in storytelling, with players expressing a desire for a more engaging narrative structure.
- “As a matter of example, 'RimWorld' stands out brilliantly as a roleplaying, story-making game, while 'Stonehearth' and 'Going Medieval' explore more the 3D universe and building aspects.”
- “You're given a plot of land, being the map you spawn into, by the crown and are in charge of ruling over it and the starting families that have gathered there with you.”
- “First time I've purchased a game purely off of the devs' good vibes and the story of how the game was made.”
- “It took me three days and several attempts to finally finish it, and I feel as though some information was skipped because it allows you to move to the next mission even if it's not done teaching you.”
- “The campaign is meant as a tutorial, but a few of the missions are broken: they require restarting to get different random generation to be able to complete it.”
- “This is less of a story-generator and more of a simulator than something like RimWorld or even the somewhat comparable Clanfolk.”
stability
22 mentions
9 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The game is widely reported to be unstable, with numerous bugs, stutters, freezes, and memory leaks that detract from the overall experience. While players appreciate its potential and aesthetic appeal, the technical issues have been persistent since 2021, leading to frustration among users. Despite these challenges, some still find the game engaging and recommend it, particularly at a lower price point, if the developers continue to address the stability concerns.
- “Overall, it's a very nice game. I would recommend it for the €17 price point; maybe the €20 price point is a bit high for the current amount of content, but it's very polished and bug-free for an early access product, so I don't mind that much if they keep at it.”
- “Game is still very buggy, check the subreddit before you buy if you don't believe me.”
- “I play with these stutters, freezes, and memory leaks even though it's frustrating.”
- “Look, I really like the idea of this game, but honestly at the moment there seems to be a lot of technical glitches that have been raised in the forums since 2021.”
replayability
16 mentions
25 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with players noting the ability to set different goals and challenges for each playthrough. Recent updates have added significant content, enhancing its longevity, though some users express uncertainty about its long-term replay value given its recent early access release.
- “There is longevity in the challenge, and tons of replayability setting yourself different goals about how to do things each time you play.”
- “The last update already added a ton of new content to make the game more playable, and the developers also listen to suggestions and bug reports on the Steam forum.”
- “I don't know how much replay value is here at the moment, but it released less than a month ago into early access.”
- “Luckily, some simple changes could make this game more playable.”
- “In terms of gameplay, I think there is definitely some replayability.”
music
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as soothing and beautiful, striking a unique balance between styles reminiscent of "RimWorld" and "Songs of Syx." Players appreciate the charming art and the seasonal changes that accompany the music, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The art is adorable and the music is soooo soothing and beautiful.”
- “Love the season changes and changing music.”
- “A lot different to what I'm used to, almost like the middle ground between RimWorld and Songs of Syx.”
- “The music is a lot different from what I'm used to, almost like a middle ground between RimWorld and Songs of Syx.”
- “The music doesn't resonate with me; it feels out of place.”
- “While I appreciate the seasonal changes, the music itself lacks variety and depth.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurd scenarios, such as unexpected incestuous relationships among characters and the comedic elements of spying and assassination mechanics. Players find these darkly humorous situations amusing, although they note that the need for micromanagement can detract from the overall comedic experience.
- “I should say I have two queens on the throne, but the game decided that they're not a couple, and had two of their children make an incest child GRRM-style instead, which is pretty funny.”
- “There's also a mechanic to spy on and assassinate people; I found that hilarious!”
- “Funny, cute, challenging.”