Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown

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Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown is a single player and multiplayer casual role playing game. It was developed by Zugalu Entertainment and was released on June 18, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown is a medieval fantasy city-builder where you lead survivors to establish a new kingdom in the mysterious land of Nysamor. Manage resources, construct settlements, and engage in real-time combat as your choices shape your kingdom’s fate. Play solo or with up to four players, making impactful decisions that define your legacy.

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 262 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

stability22 negative mentions

The game has a unique blend of city-building and RTS elements, making it engaging and fun, especially in multiplayer.
The graphics and audio presentation are excellent, creating an immersive atmosphere.
The narrative-driven approach and moral choices add depth to the gameplay, enhancing replayability.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with saving and loading, which can make it unplayable at times.
The pacing can feel slow, with many players experiencing idle downtime while waiting for resources or population growth.
The UI is often criticized for being clunky and not user-friendly, making it difficult for new players to navigate.

gameplay
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
76%
8%
The gameplay of "Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown" offers a mix of engaging mechanics, including city-building, resource management, and strategic combat, but is marred by a lack of clarity in tutorials and numerous bugs that disrupt the experience. While the dynamic world and narrative choices enhance immersion, many players find the micromanagement overwhelming and the user interface confusing, particularly for newcomers. Overall, the game shows potential with its unique elements, but significant polish and refinement are needed to improve the overall user experience.
- “The fog mechanic adds unpredictability and tension, keeping exploration interesting.”
- “The gameplay is mostly intuitive, and the optional mystical and narrative-driven story element keeps the mind engaged with numerous unique and intriguing twists.”
- “From its intricate mechanics to its unique game elements, this game is a true masterpiece that offers hours of engaging gameplay.”
- “The constant need to go to another area to find non-respawning resources and the mechanics behind making and sustaining caravans aren't user-friendly and never really explained.”
- “Many mechanics are not explained and it is up to the player to find out.”
- “The tutorial does a poor job at explaining the game mechanics; you have to build a primitive stock and continue with the tutorial after you've done that.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The game features a unique and engaging story that combines city-building with fantasy elements, offering players narrative-driven choices that can significantly alter outcomes and enhance replayability. However, some players have reported issues with quest triggers and bugs that hinder story progression, leading to frustration. Overall, the narrative is praised for its depth and integration into gameplay, making it a compelling aspect for fans of story-driven experiences.
- “A brilliant and unique game... there is nothing like this on the market... a story-driven city-building RTS, with fantasy/magic and conquest of other provinces and settlements.”
- “The gameplay is mostly intuitive & the optional mystical and narrative-driven story element (which keeps the mind engaged) has numerous unique and intriguing twists thrown in.”
- “If you enjoy city-builders with story-driven decisions, give this one a shot.”
- “Absolutely no idea how to complete the neighboring town quests (they ask for resources, but you can't send anything anywhere) - there's also no explanation about that in the help section.”
- “The story skips around (I'm guessing a quest trigger was somehow skipped by me).”
- “Still need some bug fixing - I got stuck in campaign and the story would not progress further (day 83).”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting frequent freezes, lost progress due to unreliable saving, and various bugs affecting gameplay mechanics. While some acknowledge that it is an early access title and expect bugs, many find the experience frustratingly unplayable, particularly in multiplayer modes. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," with stability issues worsening as players progress.
- “I would love to recommend this game but so many times during my playthrough I have to go back to another save because the game freezes; not the whole client, just the game, and it won't save, so I have to go back to the most recent save.”
- “Right now it’s a frustrating, buggy mess.”
- “The glitches and bugs make this game unplayable - at least for me.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
50%
15%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and atmospheric art style that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some users report issues with pixelation, lack of polish, and performance problems, particularly in multiplayer settings. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, there are notable inconsistencies that detract from the overall presentation.
- “The graphics and the details of the game are superb.”
- “The medieval art style and atmospheric music pull you into its grim world, making each playthrough feel unique.”
- “As the gameplay unfolded, I was struck by the game's stunning graphics, which bring the environment to life in a vibrant way.”
- “The game is not very well polished; it looks like I'm playing Age of Empires 1 at times, with poor graphics and poor movement of units.”
- “Graphics of smaller objects on 1920x1080 and 'high' settings still look pixelated.”
- “Nothing stands out, not even the drab and ugly graphics.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
61%
28%
Overall, the game's optimization is a significant concern among users, with many reporting performance issues that worsen as gameplay progresses, particularly after expanding territories. While initial performance may be acceptable, stuttering and frame drops become prevalent, especially in late-game scenarios. Players express hope for future updates to address these optimization challenges, as the current state hampers the overall experience.
- “Once the devs get the game more optimized and it cooks a little more, it will be a really good game.”
- “I hope they will publish the necessary performance updates, and I'm curious about what the future brings.”
- “Furthermore, performance is fine at the beginning, but after only taking 4 territories and developing my town, it was getting really stuttery, further killing any incentive to take over more territory.”
- “Performance plummets after your realm expands (even in 'potato' configs).”
- “Both me and my girlfriend really enjoyed what we could play, but the game desperately needs optimization.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game offers significant replayability through meaningful story choices that can alter outcomes, encouraging players to explore different paths. These decisions feel integral to the narrative, enhancing the overall experience and inviting multiple playthroughs.
- “I always adds replay value to these kinds of games.”
- “The fact that you can choose different paths gives it real replay value, and the choices don’t feel tacked on – they actually matter.”
- “Replayable story choices: narrative events give you decisions that can alter outcomes, adding some replay value.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some appreciate its atmospheric quality that enhances the medieval art style and immerses players in the grim world, others find it repetitive and lacking innovation. Overall, the soundtrack contributes to a unique playthrough experience, despite some criticisms of its genre limitations.
- “It's boring to say the least, with a soundtrack that is devoid of creativity and a tired genre that offers nothing new or immersive.”
- “The medieval art style and atmospheric music pull you into its grim world, making each playthrough feel unique.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be clunky and tedious, detracting from the enjoyment of expanding territory. The slow pacing and poor AI contribute to a frustrating experience, leading to a desire for a more engaging and interconnected gameplay mechanic rather than a cumbersome checklist approach.
- “Supply convoys are clunky, tedious, and take all the fun out of taking over more territory.”
- “As much as I'd like to recommend this game, the bad AI and tedious pacing for progression doesn't really let me.”
- “This isn't a call to make the game easier, but less tedious and allow mechanics to play into one another more instead of being a very simple but cumbersome checklist.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the games is noted to be a standout feature, with players finding it amusing that all the titles are still in early access, adding a layer of irony to their enjoyment.
- “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, with clever writing that keeps you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious moments that catch you off guard.”
- “The witty dialogue and playful banter between characters add a delightful layer of humor to the gameplay.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly immersive, with a vibrant world brought to life through a captivating medieval art style and evocative music, enhancing the overall experience and ensuring that each playthrough feels distinct.
- “The world feels alive, and the atmosphere is immersive from the start.”
- “The medieval art style and atmospheric music pull you into its grim world, making each playthrough feel unique.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy is perceived as a cash grab, with the recent price drop viewed as a rushed tactic rather than a genuine promotional effort for the new release.
- “The price drop seems to be more of a cash grab than a new release promo.”
- “It feels like a rush and a cash grab so it can be abandoned.”

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5h Median play time

5h Average play time

4-6h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown is a casual role playing game.

Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown.

Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown was released on June 18, 2025.

Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown was developed by Zugalu Entertainment.

Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Kingdoms Reborn, Frozenheim, Manor Lords, Surviving the Aftermath, Becastled and others.

Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown

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