Norland

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,876 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Norland Game Cover
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"Norland is a single-player strategy colony sim set in a turbulent medieval world, where you must lead your kingdom to greatness amidst familial strife, famine, and external threats. With a focus on story generation, Norland boasts good game mechanics, wonderful graphics, and plenty of humor, but can be very grinding and is plagued by bugs."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,876 reviews
gameplay117 positive mentions
grinding64 negative mentions
  • The game combines elements of Rimworld and Crusader Kings, offering a unique gameplay experience.
  • The developers are very active, releasing frequent updates and addressing community feedback.
  • The character interactions and emergent storytelling create engaging and often humorous scenarios.
  • The hard cap of 5 lords limits the ability to create a dynasty and manage family dynamics effectively.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, particularly during autosaves and with larger populations.
  • Many mechanics feel tedious and require excessive micromanagement, detracting from overall enjoyment.
  • gameplay508 mentions

    The gameplay of Norland is a blend of city-building and character management, drawing inspiration from titles like RimWorld and Crusader Kings, resulting in a complex yet engaging experience. While many players appreciate the depth and unique mechanics, some find the micromanagement tedious and the learning curve steep, leading to mixed feelings about the overall enjoyment. As the game is still in early access, there are calls for further balancing and content improvements to enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “The game starts by what feels like somewhat simple elements, but quickly expands to incredibly complex mechanics that feel very fun and easy to deal with because you only really have to keep watch over a handful of important characters (lords).”
    • “The graphics are charming, the gameplay loop is engaging, and my brain is letting off happy chemicals the whole time I'm glued to the screen :) Cheers to the developers for creating a truly unique game in a saturated genre.”
    • “It's a really great game with lots of new ideas and mechanics that work very well in a natural way.”
    • “You will buy this game hoping for some deep political gameplay and battles like Mount & Blade, but in reality, the game is empty and not fun to spend time with.”
    • “The mechanics from army to city building to simple logistics seem not well thought out and super clunky.”
    • “The biggest killer of the fun is that there isn't enough 'middle management' systems besides the chancellery, and even then there should be more stuff to manage knowledge transfer, interactions with other lords, etc. It makes the gameplay very tedious and you'll probably lose interest before you get to any of the endgame content.”
  • story156 mentions

    The game's story aspect is characterized by dynamic, procedurally generated narratives that vary with each playthrough, akin to titles like RimWorld and Crusader Kings. While players appreciate the potential for unique character-driven stories and complex interactions, many feel that the storytelling mechanics are underdeveloped, making it difficult to track character arcs and relationships. Overall, the game shows promise as a story generator but requires more depth in character development and narrative coherence to fully realize its potential.

    • “I love the concept of role play, merged with strategy and management alongside the make-your-adventure that gets forged randomly over time, and each playthrough is unique and has a story to tell.”
    • “The game has great dynamic storytelling with an assortment of events that randomly occur throughout your playthrough.”
    • “Norland is a standout game that blends medieval strategy with rich storytelling.”
    • “When you're invested in your pawns and invested in your colony goals, it's a blast, but it never really feels like a story so much as a complex series of mathematical events wearing your imagination like a skin-suit.”
    • “On the other hand, there's the storytelling part of the game. I thought I was going to develop a medieval dynasty full of cool events and unique paths, but I found it really hard to follow what's happening with my lords. I could see they were developing their relationships, but I couldn't find a place where I could read their story, their thoughts, their life. I'm not sure if this is hidden somewhere, but I think this game could benefit a lot if the lore of your game session was easily available to read.”
    • “There is no story this game can tell since all it would be is how the lord managed the daily production building where they need to remind a farmer how to do their job every 3 days or everyone else starves.”
  • graphics126 mentions

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their charming, stylized artwork and polished animations, drawing favorable comparisons to titles like RimWorld and Crusader Kings. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals and cohesive art style, which enhance the overall gameplay experience, despite some concerns about performance on lower-end systems. Overall, the game's aesthetic is seen as a refreshing twist in the colony management genre, contributing to its engaging and enjoyable atmosphere.

    • “The artwork is gorgeous, stylized, and seamless.”
    • “The visuals are great, the animations are crisp, and it's simply awesome to watch all your peasants run about.”
    • “The visual design is particularly captivating, offering a fresh aesthetic that sets it apart from other games in the genre.”
    • “Can't even reinforce my vassal... and how come a game with such poor graphics causes this much lag!!!!”
    • “Some players might find the cartoony graphics and light-hearted visual style not fitting for the darker themes.”
    • “The rimworld elements are reduced to a rough imitation of the aesthetic without the weather effects.”
  • grinding70 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for becoming tedious and frustrating, particularly in the mid-game where players feel overwhelmed by micromanagement and repetitive tasks. Many reviewers express that while the game has potential, the excessive focus on grinding and unbalanced mechanics detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a loss of interest before reaching the endgame content. Despite some players finding fun in the early stages, the consensus is that the game's complexity and grindiness can make it feel more like a chore than an engaging experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “No tedious micromanagement.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You feel like grinding a lot to go from suffering every day at level 8 to suffering at level 6, and then something surprises you (like disease, dying, some prophecy, etc.) and you're back to suffering and grinding. Some days you don't really have action over your characters.”
    • “The biggest killer of the fun is that there isn't enough 'middle management' systems besides the chancellery, and even then there should be more stuff to manage knowledge transfer, interactions with other lords, etc. It makes the gameplay very tedious and you'll probably lose interest before you get to any of the endgame content.”
    • “This game has massive potential and is fun for a while, but at this point, it becomes tedious later on in the game.”
  • optimization59 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including lag during autosaves and crashes, particularly in late-game scenarios. While some acknowledge the developers' commitment to improving performance, the consensus is that the game is currently unplayable for many, especially on lower-end systems. Overall, players express hope for future optimizations, but caution against purchasing until these issues are addressed.

    • “That is an insane amount of support the devs are putting towards making the game run smoothly and as expected.”
    • “Still needs some bug and performance fixes since the twice daily saves (in-game) cause a little freeze each time, but overall very impressive performance for an early access game, especially at the price point.”
    • “I love this game since it was in demo; I love how the developer is giving attention to it for optimization.”
    • “But optimization 0/10, which makes this game average sadly, until they fix it.”
    • “The game needs more optimization; it lags a lot when autosaving and playing for a long time.”
    • “It was unplayable on my gaming machine, so clearly some optimization is required.”
  • stability47 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly during battles and autosaves. Many players experience frequent freezing and lag, even on systems that meet or exceed the recommended specifications. While some acknowledge the game's potential and appreciate the developers' responsiveness in releasing patches, the overall consensus is that it remains too unstable for a fully enjoyable experience.

    • “As of July 22, 2024, there have been five patch notes released to ensure the game remains bug-free and aligned with player feedback.”
    • “The developers are committed to stability, as evidenced by the regular updates and patch notes that keep the game running smoothly.”
    • “With consistent updates and a focus on addressing player concerns, the game's stability has significantly improved.”
    • “Busted and buggy, the game crashes 80% of the time whenever starting a battle. I don't recommend wasting your money on this game until its developers fix the game-breaking issues.”
    • “An incredibly buggy and inconsistent mess, a terrible release.”
    • “It has potential, but currently uses a ton of memory that increases as your game progresses to the point that it just freezes solid when autosaving.”
  • replayability43 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising the variety of gameplay styles and starting modifiers that enhance replay value, while others criticize the lack of customization options and the potential for save file corruption, which diminishes the incentive to replay. Many suggest that expanding character and world customization could significantly improve the overall experience. Overall, while there are elements that support replayability, the current state leaves room for improvement.

    • “The game offers high replayability due to the various gameplay styles and starting modifiers that add an extra challenge to your house's prosperity.”
    • “The character system and the family system are really shaping up to be a great classic with tons of replayability.”
    • “Not too hard to learn but still challenging, with tons of replayability.”
    • “Just knowing that the save file will be corrupted at some point kills the replay value for me.”
    • “Decent game, but it has zero replay value; the building system, mood system, and even the skill system need a rework or rebalance.”
    • “There is so little replay value that I've been playing for a few hours, and now I wanted to continue, but the game crashed. I assume my save files are corrupt, and now I have to start over, but I have no excitement to do so.”
  • humor41 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its memorable and random comedic moments, with players enjoying the absurdity of character interactions and situations, such as unexpected betrayals and humorous penalties. While some elements, like the repetitive mention of "rutabaga," can be distracting, the overall comedic tone, including funny voice acting and animations, contributes to an entertaining experience. Players appreciate the blend of humor with deeper themes like family dynamics and trade mishaps, making for a uniquely engaging gameplay experience.

    • “So many random and funny instances come out of this game, and slowly making your way to total domination feels incredible.”
    • “Overall, I like this game; it's got a cool and interesting art style, some fun mechanics, and some very interesting and funny interactions between nobles.”
    • “I was going to punish him for starting a fight with my character's son, but I was laughing so hard and thought to myself; you know what, he's wearing a mask of shame and he lost to a child, so I left him alone.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful soundtrack and effective sound effects that enhance the overall atmosphere. While some players feel the music could be more consistently featured, it generally sets the right mood and complements the charming graphics and characters. Comparisons to other games suggest that while the music is strong, the overall experience may not reach the same heights as its more established counterparts.

    • “The music/soundtrack is incredible.”
    • “Lovely graphics, beautiful music and charming characters.”
    • “The background music sets the right mood, and the sound effects—from sword clashes to the daily chatter—are spot-on.”
    • “The potential of the game is obvious, but this is because of games such as Song of Syx, Against the Storm, Manor Lords, and RimWorld which have set the bar quite high, a bit too high though for Norland.”
    • “I assume it would be more fun once you have a larger settlement, but games like Song of Syx, RimWorld, etc. seem to scratch the itch much faster.”
    • “I think this game could benefit from inspiration from Dwarf Fortress or Song of Syx where global conquest is feasible, but very time-consuming and engaging.”
  • emotional11 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game compelling, with unique narratives emerging from random events and character traits that evoke strong feelings, such as concern for a queen's well-being after personal tragedies. However, some users express frustration with the emotional responses of in-game characters, describing them as overly sensitive and difficult to manage. Overall, the game successfully elicits emotional engagement, though technical issues may detract from the experience.

    • “My first day with this game, for example, I grew increasingly concerned for the emotional well-being of my dynasty's queen, who'd experienced two miscarriages during her first two pregnancies and was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.”
    • “Gud geim, I cried.”
    • “Gud geim, I cried.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game is dynamic and enhanced by vibrant visuals that juxtapose darker themes, making complex narratives more accessible. The detailed character design and customizable beginnings contribute to a unique experience in each playthrough; however, there is a consensus that the game could benefit from a stronger emphasis on storytelling and character development.

    • “The bright, colorful visuals and character designs contrast with the darker themes, making the complex storylines feel more approachable.”
    • “This game needs to more heavily focus on the storytelling and character development.”
    • “Character development is also dynamic.”
    • “The deep gameplay, with its detailed character design and customizable start, ensures that every playthrough feels unique.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for misleading advertising, as users noted discrepancies between the promotional materials and the actual gameplay, particularly regarding features like castle walls and defense building that are not present. This has led to frustration among players who feel deceived by the game's marketing.

    • “+ the fake advertising, you can see castle walls on the store screenshots but they are not actually in the game, you cannot build any defenses.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere is characterized by a blend of scandal and intrigue, set within a feudal sandbox survival environment. This unique setting enhances the overall experience, immersing players in a rich and engaging world.

    • “Atmospheric sandbox survival in feudalism.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

11hMedian play time
31hAverage play time
5-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 30 analyzed playthroughs

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