Lords of the Realm

About

"Lords of the Realm" is a medieval-themed strategy game that challenges players to build and manage their own kingdom. The game combines elements of city-building, resource management, and turn-based combat, as players must construct and maintain their own castles, farms, and armies to defend against rival lords and expand their territory. With a focus on historical accuracy and deep strategic gameplay, "Lords of the Realm" offers a rich and immersive experience for fans of the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 116 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic experience for those who played it in their youth, with engaging gameplay that combines economic management and real-time strategy.
It supports up to 6 players in hot seat mode, making it a fun option for multiplayer sessions.
Despite its age, the game still provides a rewarding experience once players learn its mechanics, with depth in resource management and strategic planning.

The game suffers from significant technical issues, including crashes and lack of support for modern hardware, making it unplayable for some users.
Its outdated design and user interface can be difficult for new players to navigate, leading to a frustrating experience.
Many features from the original game are missing in this version, including a second map and digitized speech, which detracts from the overall experience.

gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The gameplay features a diverse mix of economic and military strategies, though some players find it confusing, particularly in managing armies and avoiding revolts. While the mechanics are engaging, including a nuanced economic system, the absence of certain modern features and dated graphics may detract from the experience. Newcomers are advised to start on easier settings to better grasp the complexities of the game.
- “There is a large mix of gameplay that you can dive into.”
- “Yes, it's a bit dated and the graphics show that, but the gameplay and strategy are as good as ever.”
- “However, the game mechanics (kingdom management) are quite nice; I wish I could've played this game when it first came out.”
- “The gameplay itself is lacking many of the new mechanics like troop experience points, but the smart economic, happiness, and health systems are very interesting to toy with.”
- “The gameplay is a bit confusing for me, as I am unsure how to raise armies, fight, or prevent a peasants' revolt from coming out of nowhere.”
- “It is recommended to turn the economy down to easy because normal is fairly authentic in that a couple of bad seasons for weather (or a plague breaking out) can seriously set you back, so you probably need the leeway while learning the mechanics.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The graphics of the game are notably dated, reflecting its 1994 origins, but many players appreciate the nostalgic charm and the focus on gameplay quality over visual flair. While the low-resolution graphics may take some getting used to, they do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the strategy elements. Overall, the graphics leave much to the imagination, which some players find appealing.
- “Back to the days when a game relied on quality rather than glitzy graphics.”
- “General lower graphical quality from Lords of the Realm 2 (which is expected, I'm not knocking the game for it. It looks great for a 1994 game).”
- “Yes, it's a bit dated and the graphics show that, but the gameplay and strategy are as good as ever.”
- “The game is still running very smoothly for me, and after the first half an hour, you start to get used to the old low-resolution graphics.”
- “General lower graphical quality from Lords of the Realm 2 (which is expected; I'm not knocking the game for it. It looks great for a 1994 game).”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
The game's soundtrack evokes strong feelings of nostalgia, despite its flaws and lack of variety, which is understandable given its age. Players have the option to turn off the music, but it remains a continuous backdrop that some may find repetitive. Overall, while the music may not be perfect, it contributes to the game's charm for those familiar with it.
- “It has its flaws, but damn this game's soundtrack just screams nostalgia to me.”
- “I click 'play,' and I get a black screen, music in the background, with a ping-ponging screen saver-type blue text reading, 'signal not support.' Not, 'not supported,' but 'not support.' And that's it--not even alt/control/delete works--I have to do a hard restart of my computer.”
- “The music is ever continuous and lacking variety, but you cannot ask too much for a game from 24 years ago.”
- “Music can be turned off (you might want that).”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from poor optimization, running exclusively in DOSBox with limited VGA resolution support and no updates for modern display resolutions or widescreen monitors, resulting in a lack of smooth performance on contemporary gaming PCs.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently described as enjoyable and amusing, with multiple users highlighting its lighthearted and entertaining nature.
- “Nice and funny.”
- “Nice and funny.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the emulator is a significant concern, with users frequently reporting regular freezes that hinder gameplay. As a result, many reviewers do not recommend the emulator due to these stability issues.
- “I would not recommend this, simply because of the all too likely outcome of regular emulator freezes.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews for the "story" aspect are minimal and repetitive, indicating a lack of depth or engagement in the narrative. Users seem to express confusion or dissatisfaction, suggesting that the story may not be compelling or well-developed.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the grinding aspect in "Lords of the Realm" is reminiscent of the advanced farming mechanics found in "Lords of the Realm 2," suggesting a repetitive and time-consuming gameplay experience that may not appeal to everyone.