Medieval strategy game. Games about the Middle Ages on PC - a selection of the best strategies and RPGs

Heavy armor, stern knights and gloomy fortresses that are almost impossible to conquer - yes, yes, this selection is about the best open world games about the Middle Ages on PC.

This exciting historical era has inspired some great RPGs, strategy games, and multiplayer games. And if you add a little fantasy to it, it will turn out really cool.

1. Kingdom Under Fire 2 – epic army wars

“” is an excellent mixture of MMORPG and strategy with high-quality graphics and interesting lore.

Video games Kingdom Under Fire 2

The combat in the game is dynamic with key combinations, massive attacks and a variety of spells. And the game is completely in Russian and free.

• Game website: https://ru.4game.com/kuf2/install/

2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – a legendary RPG with a cool storyline

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the exciting adventure of Geralt of Rivia as he goes in search of the child from the prophecy.

Video games The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

And other nice little things like the crafting system, variety of equipment, excellent DLS. Seriously, don't install this game, it will drag you on for a long time.

• Game website: http://thewitcher.com/en/witcher3

3. ArcheAge – a beautiful MMORPG with sandbox elements

"" is another colorful mixture of fantasy and the Middle Ages. This eastern MMORPG has earned its place in the selection due to its huge variety of content.

Video games ArcheAge

The game pleases with regular, almost weekly updates, holidays, quizzes and cross-server events.

• Game website: https://aa.mail.ru/

4. Life is Feudal: MMO - a large sandbox with construction

“” - but here there is no fantasy, only the harsh Middle Ages with brutal warriors swinging huge axes.

Video games Life is Feudal

The most serious and realistic, with not the lowest barrier to entry and difficult survival. Cool!

• Game website: https://lifeisfeudal.com/

5. Kingdom come: Deliverance - the best open world RPG of 2018

“Kingdom Come: Deliverance” is the breakthrough of the year, a game that receives almost nothing but positive reviews. Large, very beautiful and complex.

Video games Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Realistic picture, realistic combat, crafting, gravity transfer system. Yes, this is exactly the real Middle Ages that we deserve!

• Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/379430/

6. Wild Terra Online – old school sandbox in isometry

“ ” – a simple picture, minimal system requirements and not the easiest survival in an open medieval world.

Video games Wild Terra Online

The game is from domestic developers, but it looks and plays no worse than its Western competitors.

• Game website: http://www.wildterra.ru/

7. Thief - the difficult life of an ordinary thief

Thief is a dark, solo adventure set in an iconic universe. This is the story of the thief Garrett and his student, who go in search of a certain stone.

Thief video games

The game even has horror elements, so the mission in the mental hospital really makes you nervous. And the graphics are beautiful.

• Game website: https://www.thiefgame.com/

8. Stronghold Kingdoms – a cozy strategy for weak PCs

“ ” – unhurried development of settlements, distribution of resources and semi-automatic war. Everything is as it should be in a classic strategy.

Video games Stronghold Kingdoms

The game is distributed free of charge and, thanks to the minimum system requirements, is perfect for weak PCs.

• Game website: https://ru.strongholdkingdoms.com/

9. Black Death – survival in a world with plague

“Black Death” is a survival simulator in a medieval world with a map area of ​​8 square kilometers.

Video games Black Death

The game allows you to steal gold from the pockets of other players. And the sandbox looks cool, for an indie.

• Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/412450/

10. Throne: Kingdom at War – browser strategy with excellent pictures

"" - try yourself in the role of the king of a medieval city in one of the highest quality browser strategies for 2018.

Video games Throne: Kingdom at War

At the same time, the game is extremely friendly to beginners - the training here is detailed, and the time of non-aggression is enough to get used to it.

• Game website: https://plarium.com/ru/

With great visuals, an immersive atmosphere and big worlds, it's hard to pick what players love most about this top ten open-world medieval game. But the fact that they deserve attention is for sure.

Hello to all fans of historical games on our website! We don’t know how you got to this page of our cozy portal, but we are 100% sure that you ended up here for a reason. After all, today we want to talk about unique representatives of the genre of historical strategies dedicated to the dark era of humanity. Meet our top best medieval strategies on PC!

We will present to you as many as 12 positions, noticeably different from each other. Both old and relatively old, with or without a plot, with or without online play - choose a game to your liking!

#12 Knights and Merchants

We decided to start with the oldest game from the entire top - with “War and Peace”. It was released in 1998 and will soon celebrate its 20th anniversary, but at the same time remains one of the best representatives of German RTS.

For a modern player it may seem too complicated, but for hardcore gamers this is a real paradise: missions last for several hours, you need to pay a lot of attention to building production chains, and also pay attention to many little things that are in many ways unique to Knights and Merchants. For example, the construction of taverns to feed soldiers and the constant arrangement of good roads for servants.

If this doesn’t scare you away, then you can safely download “KaM”. In addition, we strongly recommend it to all experienced gamers due to its typically “old-fashioned” style and lamp atmosphere, which, unfortunately, cannot be found in modern works of gaming art.

№11 Tzar

The top continues with another rather old strategy about the Middle Ages on PC straight from 2000. In the original it is called "Tsar: Burden of Power" and is an RTS with a very serious plot and boring characters. But our localizers (for which we thank them!) decided that such a dull game would not take root in the CIS market, and therefore decided to radically change the plot in it and remade it in a humorous way. The final product was also renamed “Fire and Sword” for better sales.

#4 Age of Empires 2

Fourth place goes to Age of Empires 2 - one of the most famous and popular RTS in the history of the gaming industry. Its re-release alone has over four million sales! The game is one of the 100 most popular projects on Steam!

What's so special about it?
• Lots of elaborate official story campaigns. Saladin, Attila, Joan of Arc, Genghis Khan... This is only a small part of the campaigns available initially. But there are also DLC and mods! Moreover, quantity does not in any way interfere with quality.
• About three dozen available nations in scenarios and multiplayer! They all have their own gaming features: their own bonuses, their own architecture, their own technologies and their own voice acting! The Chinese speak Chinese, the Franks speak French, etc.
• A dynamic online game with support for 8 players and a dozen possible modes. Fight to the death, regicide, king of the hill, taking over religions, protecting the wonder of the world, etc. - you won’t be bored!

#3 Stronghold Crusader

We give the well-deserved third place to the old, but at the same time eternally young RTS - Stronghold Crusader. Released in 2002, it is still popular. Global modifications of various themes are still being released for it.

What's the juice?
• The atmosphere of the medieval Middle East! Waiting for you: real architecture of desert settlements, blooming oases and typically oriental music. And, of course, the fights between the Arabs and the crusaders, where would we be without them!
• A unique defense architecture system among RTS! Several types of walls and towers, various traps, deep ditches, vats of boiling oil - all this will prevent adversaries from getting into your fortress.
• Unique battles! Hundreds and thousands of warriors of various specializations are ready to face each other for victory. Horse archers, assassins, arsonists, warriors with slings... Rams and huge shields, siege towers and ladders, catapults and trebuchets... Where else can you find such a variety of combat units? On this scale? That's right, only in "Crusader".

True, now “Citadel” has a big disadvantage - almost dead multiplayer. For this reason, fans of online battles should pay attention to the successor to “Crusader” - Stronghold Kingdoms.

#2 Medieval 2: Total War

The coveted second position in the top was won by the classic turn-based strategy about the Middle Ages from Creative Assembly - Medieval II.

Being another part of the legendary Total War series, the gameplay of Medieval 2 is traditionally divided into 2 parts: managing the state in global mode and commanding your own troops in real time. True, you will have to try on the role of a commander more often than a king.

This is largely due to the fact that almost all in-game campaigns have as their goal the conquest of foreign countries.

By the way, the absolutely perfect combat system is very addictive even for fans of economic strategies. It is very difficult to resist the temptation to take on the role of commander-in-chief of your own medieval state!

Not surprising, because full-scale 3D battles amaze with their entertainment: hundreds of troops can storm impregnable “multi-layered” fortresses, climbing ladders and towers, smashing fortifications with siege weapons and, if you’re very lucky, with cannons. Moreover, for each battle you will most likely have to select tactics - the same sudden downpour can either help or harm you. In general, everything is thought out!

The only thing that can prevent a modern gamer from mastering this strategy is the somewhat outdated graphics. Unfortunately, Medieval III hasn't even been announced yet, so we'll have to enjoy what we have. And yes, if you suddenly get bored with the original game, you can always install some mod. Be it historical, be it fantasy. Here you have the Russians, and Game of Thrones, and The Elder Scrolls...

#1 Crusader Kings 2

So, the best of the best, in our opinion, was the global game Crusader Kings 2, the brainchild of Paradox.

At first glance, “Crusaders 2” is some kind of incomprehensible project with a giant map and a bunch of all sorts of windows and menus. But behind the rather inconvenient interface lies a real pearl of the gaming world.

Here you can create whatever your heart desires! Take control of one of several dozen available historical figures and start having fun. The game has absolutely no goals or any restrictions.

Play as an evil dictator, throw all infidels into prison, execute traitors, kill harmful relatives in all sorts of sophisticated ways and conquer the world. You might even be able to create your own evil empire!

Or play the role of a good uncle-king: reduce taxes, distribute lands to vassals, organize feasts and knightly tournaments, establish peaceful relations with neighboring countries, reconcile family members, rebuild cities, organize trade, faithfully serve the Pope or the Patriarch.

Want something unusual? Then set yourself the goal of uniting Byzantium, conquering Rome for an Arab and making it a second Mecca, gaining immortality, or making a horse your chancellor! All your desires can be fulfilled in Crusader Kings 2, even sometimes the craziest ones!

For this reason, we put “Crusaders” more important than all other projects in our selection!

Afterword

We hope that this top of the best medieval strategies on PC was useful to you and that you found your dream game. Even if not, don’t despair - there are a lot of games on this topic and you can still find what you were looking for! Just try our tag search!

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Many users like strategies about the Middle Ages. Players can be participants in knightly tournaments and brutal wars. Beautiful ladies, insidious plans, political intrigues - pure romance! This review was compiled for those who want to feel the spirit of that time.

The best strategies about the Middle Ages

Heroes at War requires vigilance and tactical planning. The user will not be able to simply build structures and trade resources. He will have to interact with other players: organize battles, form alliances, give instructions. New missions appear daily. To save time, you can delegate tasks to less developed players.

Assistants will receive resources, and the user himself will receive experience and rewards for completing the mission. Alliances are associations of players presented in a hierarchy format. Participants can choose kings, distribute roles and achieve success together. Each feudal lord must interact with his empire. However, sabotage is not a rare occurrence.

This energetic medieval strategy game lacks fairy-tale warriors, monsters and other thematic elements. Here you can only find dragons and magical artifacts. When players clash in an open field, the strongest army wins. During the siege of a fortress, you need to monitor the enemy’s actions and plan which walls to break to storm the city. With the help of crystals, you can speed up the construction of structures, training of soldiers and scientific research.

Stronghold Kingdoms

The player is faced with the task of turning a small village into a large medieval city. To succeed, you need to monitor the supply of resources, reduce costs, maintain a strong army and feed the peasants. The graphics of the strategy game about the Middle Ages are distinguished by detail. Royal points are spent on research. Technologies allow access to more complex buildings and new ways of developing the city.

The user can train troops of various kinds. A particularly interesting unit is the saboteur monk, who lures away peasants, poisons wells and starts revolutions. The army will be needed when robbing the caravans of neighbors. With the help of premium crowns you can get magic cards that increase the efficiency of the army and speed up the construction of buildings.

Ten years ago, users played strategy games about the Middle Ages without the Internet. Today Stronghold Kingdoms can be opened in a browser. The strategy, combining battles and peaceful construction, will appeal to both brave warriors and modest housewives.

Forge of Empires

In the online game, the user needs to go through the path from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. A small village will soon begin to bring resources and gold. Kingdom points, used to study science, are awarded for successfully completing quests. Technologies are presented in the form of a development tree, divided into eras. Each period of time opens up new types of troops and structures.

The key resources in the strategy about the Middle Ages are gold and the mood of the village residents. The productivity of the village depends on these parameters. Military victories and decorative buildings (monuments, gardens, trees) improve the mood of the population. The game captivates with tactical battles in the style of the legendary strategy “Heroes of Might and Magic 3”. The user's army finds itself on a field divided into hexagonal cells.

Each cell has a different landscape. The desert cage may reduce permeability. The “forest” cell allows you to get a 10% bonus to defense. It is recommended to use the terrain for tactical purposes. Using premium crystals, you can purchase modifiers that speed up the construction of structures and the training of soldiers, as well as increasing the flow of resources and precious metal by 50%.

Goodgame Empire

We continue to consider strategies about the Middle Ages, the list will continue with Goodgame Empire. After successful registration, the user receives a plot of land with the first buildings. The player's task is to accumulate the necessary amount of resources to improve the castle's infrastructure and recruit soldiers. Don't be afraid of a surprise attack. Other players cannot attack newcomers for 6 days. Once you get comfortable, you should begin to establish relationships with the owners of neighboring castles.

Having built up your strength, you need to go on the offensive. The strategy amazes with bright graphics and good animation. Battles are conducted automatically, but before the battle the user can give instructions to his players. The most critical moments of the game are the assault and defense of fortresses. At this moment, something unimaginable is happening on the screen.

Users who want to play interesting strategies about the Middle Ages are recommended to pay attention to this game. With rubies (the premium currency), you can instantly complete buildings, increase taxes, and much more. Players are encouraged to build diplomatic relations and enjoy colorful sieges of fortresses.

The Settlers (online)

The strategy clearly demonstrates how a small settlement becomes a large kingdom. After registration, the user must select a name and profile photo. At the initial stage, it is necessary to establish production. Subsequently, resources will be spent on the construction of structures and training of soldiers. Troops are needed to defend the fortress and capture new territories.

In this strategy about the Middle Ages, battles are fought in semi-automatic mode. The outcome of the battle depends on the initial position of the army. With each new level, more and more interesting types of buildings, warriors and inhabitants are revealed. Using real money, you can purchase gems, which are used to speed up the construction and training of soldiers, as well as decorate the village.

1100AD

In the military-economic strategy about the Middle Ages on PC, the user will develop the city and also capture other territories. A small village needs to be turned into the capital of the empire. Having established production and trained the first troops, you can go to capture neighboring villages. Some of them will be abandoned, and in others the player will be met by enemy forces. At the initial stage you need to fight an army of robots.

Subsequently, the user will meet live players. The graphics are quite primitive. The main character not only distributes bonuses to soldiers, but also personally fights the enemy. Battles are fought in real time. At any time the user can adjust the behavior of troops.

Beginners who find it difficult to choose battle tactics are recommended to transfer their troops to artificial intelligence. With the help of premium coins you can hire scouts or increase the construction queue.

Imperia Online

A game in which the world is threatened by an impending Evil. The user will become the headman of an abandoned village and make it the hope for the revival of a powerful Empire. After registration, the player must indicate the nation. Users who choose an empire will mine resources faster. Nomads boast cheap troops.

At the initial stage, the player will receive introductory tasks that will allow him to get an idea of ​​the system. The interface is made in a gray-brown color scheme. The game differs from its analogues in its deep diplomacy system. Experienced participants enter into alliances and pull off incredible scams. You can pit your enemies against each other and attack their cities while the players are busy with each other.

The main thing is not to become a victim of such a scam yourself. Allies may suddenly attack, but this is the whole point of a strategy game about the Middle Ages. Diamonds are spent on VIP packages or individual services (instant research, attack, construction).

Castlot

Like other medieval strategies on PC, the game provides the user with a small kingdom. King Arthur fights Lord Blackmore. The player needs to choose who he will fight for. There are 2 types of tasks in the strategy: key and secondary. The former give new titles and opportunities, and the latter - resources.

The outcome of the battle depends not only on the number and level of development of the units, but also on their formation and the commanders at the head of the troops. The battles in Castlot look very convincing, which makes the game stand out among other strategies. With the help of diamonds, you can purchase resources for alchemy, hire robbers, or change the name of the hero. In a game that plunges into the strife of 6th century England, the user will be interested in developing and fighting.

28.03.2018 Pavel Makarov

Strategy is one of the first and once most popular genres of computer games on PC, the most prominent representative of which was “Age of Empires” - an RTS in a medieval setting. The first representatives of the genre are games with simple mechanics: building a base, building units, attacking the enemy. Gradually, the strategies became more complex, research elements were introduced that improved units and buildings, the opportunity to travel through eras appeared, etc. In this article we will present the top 15 most striking and memorable strategies about the Middle Ages.

Release date: 2018
Genre: city ​​building simulator, real-time strategy
Developer: Shiro Games
Publisher: Shiro Games

Northgard is a medieval RTS from the Shiro Games team, in which you have to inhabit the continent of Northgard and populate it with powerful Vikings. At the same time, you will have to fight off animals, undead creatures and establish diplomatic relations with the local residents - the Jotuns.

Teach people various crafts, wisely manage mined or conquered resources, managing to survive the winter and enemy raids. Only tactics and strategy will allow you to expand your influence in new lands teeming with very smart AI.

Release date: 2016
Genre: real time strategy
Developer: GSC Game World
Publisher: GSC Game World

Cossacks 3 is a large-scale real-time strategy from the developers of GSC Game World, telling about battles between the 17th and 18th centuries. Several factors play into winning: the amount of previously mined resources, the choice of troops and weapons, landscape, physics and even the time of day.

Enter the battle by choosing one of 20 nations, bringing up to 32,000 units into the fight at the same time.

Multiplayer for 8 people with the ability to create teams will definitely not get boring.

Release date: year 2014
Genre: real time strategy
Developer: SkyBox Labs, Big Huge Games
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Rise of Nations is an RTS game from Big Huge Games. The game is a synergy of traditional strategy and city-planning simulator, similar to Civilization, since there are national borders and even wonders of the world.

Maximum authenticity of what is happening: caravans open up new routes, sea trade campaigns create their own fleet, and cities represent key buildings on the continent around which the gameplay is tied. Create your own wonder of the world to take advantage of the benefits provided by this building.

Release date: 2015
Genre: simulator of construction of medieval siege weapons, sandbox
Developer: Spiderling Studios
Publisher: Spiderling Studios

Besiege is an indie sandbox project developed by the Spiderling Studios team. The player's task is to create a special device to achieve the goal while completing the level. With each new map opened, the level of difficulty increases significantly, and therefore the car has to be improved and modernized every now and then (add armor, install a catapult or a transport crane for the convenience of moving heavy objects).

Complete freedom of action from the very first minutes. The main task is to achieve the goal in any way.

Release date: year 2014
Genre: medieval castle building simulator, real-time strategy
Developer: FireFly Studios
Publisher: FireFly Studios

Stronghold Crusader 2 is a sequel to the original castle sim project from FireFly Studios. The sequel is also a mixture of RTS and city-planning simulator, in which the main character will have to make a difficult choice between the Crusaders and the Arab fighters for justice. The further fate of the Holy Lands directly depends on the actions of the commander.

Do you admire Richard the Lionheart? You will have the opportunity to play on his behalf, managing to control 25 types of different units with special abilities. Difficult, but interesting.

Release date: 2006
Genre: turn-based, real-time tactical strategy
Developer: The Creative Assembly
Publisher: SEGA

Medieval II: Total War is a global turn-based real-time strategy from The Creative Assembly team. Events will unfold in parallel in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe. You will experience historical events such as the discovery of Black Death gunpowder, the Mongol invasion and more.

Take part in the Crusades for the glory of Islam or Christianity, rewrite history in your own way, without holding yourself back by any restrictions. In war, all means are good.

Face off? LAN mode for 8 people is just suitable for these purposes.

Release date: year 2013
Genre: real time strategy
Developer: Skybox Labs, Hidden Path Entertainment, Ensemble Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Age of Empires II HD is a re-release of the cult strategy from Ensemble Games in a new quality. The studio Skybox Labs was responsible for the remake, which did not in any way affect the gameplay or atmosphere of the project. The player has access to 13 civilizations with unique units and technologies.

Using the latter is not so easy - you need to create an appropriate building, and then develop the ability from scratch. And remember that each faction has both strengths and weaknesses: you can win in castle value but lose in defense quality.

Release date: 2017
Genre: turn-based strategy about Vikings with RPG elements
Developer: Logic Artists
Publisher: Logic Artists

Expeditions: Viking is a real-time strategy game from Logic Artics. You have just been appointed leader of a Viking clan living in a small village. The task is extremely simple - to make the settlement blossom and prosper. Loyal housecarls will follow the leader anywhere, even to Valhalla.

Choose the style of leader at your own discretion, choosing the optimal skills and characteristics of the hero for yourself. Make peaceful alliances and write your name on the pages of history, where there will definitely be a place for heroism.

Release date: year 2012
Genre: global strategy about the Middle Ages
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Crusader Kings II is a global RTS from Paradox Development Studio. The game recreates the feudal system of relations between medieval Europe and the countries of the Middle East, including not only the general picture of events, but also personal relationships between the characters. Here, every now and then, intrigues and even a struggle for the Papal throne will arise.

The player himself chooses the dynasty around which the plot is built. Study history in a playful way, observing real-life personalities.

Release date: 2017
Genre: global strategy about the Middle Ages with RPG elements, turn-based battles
Developer: Overhype Studios
Publisher: Overhype Studios

Battle Brothers is a tactical RPG with a huge open world from Overhype Studios. You have to learn how to manage a squad of mercenaries in the era of medieval Germany. All battles are turn-based, based on the turn-based strategy of Heroes Might and Magic.

Outside of battles, the hero must look for new quests for himself and take care of the welfare of the mercenaries (weapons, armor, provisions). The game is stuffed with fetnesian characters and representatives of German folklore.

Release date: year 2014
Genre: city ​​planning simulator of a medieval village
Developer: Shining Rock Software LLC
Publisher: Shining Rock Software LLC

Banished is a city-building sim from Shining Rock Software, diluted with strategy elements. You become a kind of hand of God, since the main resource of the game is people. They are born, work, reproduce and die. The key measure of success is supporting the well-being of subjects. It is not enough to build a house - it also needs to be inhabited.

No conditions or conventions: build anything, as long as you have enough resources. 18 types of crafts will not let you get bored, especially since there is no standard strategy here - everything is at your discretion.

Release date: 2005 year
Genre: global strategy about the Middle Ages
Developer: Black Sea Studios Ltd
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Knights of Honor is an RTS from the Black Sea Studios team in a historical setting. You have to rule an entire dynasty with a king at its head. Create heirs, enter into mutually beneficial agreements with representatives of other kingdoms, principalities and sultanates (pacts, alliances, trade agreements).

The emphasis in the game is on exotic goods, since they are responsible for the advantage of a particular power and its advantageous position relative to other states.

Release date: 2017
Genre: global strategy about the Middle Ages
Developer: Reverie World Studios
Publisher: Reverie World Studios

Medieval Kingdom Wars is a global real-time strategy game from developer Reverie World Studios. Historical setting and a huge living world of the medieval era. Create cities, fight in the name of the king, take part in large-scale sieges and show off your tactical skills in battle.

Campaign mode with an abundance of international and domestic intrigue, network mode and more. A painfully realistic survival simulator awaits you, where you will even have to hunt rats in order to save not only your own skin, but also the garrison under your control. Difficult, but exciting.

Release date: 2005 year
Genre: economic strategy, urban planning simulator of a medieval city
Developer: Ubisoft Blue Byte Studio
Publisher: Ubisoft

The Settlers: Heritage of Kings is the fifth series of RTS The Setters from Blue Byte Software. In this part, the developers abandoned the standard setting, adding many gameplay elements similar to Cossacks: Europian Wars.

You will reincarnate as the character Dario, whose village was destroyed by the Black Knights. The hero will have to lead the militia to drive out the uninvited guests from his territory.

Release date: 2015
Genre:
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: SEGA

Total War: Attila is a project that combines elements of RTS and turn-based strategy. Developed by Creative Assembly and in fact is the 9th part of the Total War network.

The action takes place in 395 AD since the split of the Roman Empire. You will play as the great leader Atilla, while simultaneously managing your own state. Special attention is paid to buildings: industrial buildings can pollute the atmosphere, sanitary buildings can clean them. It is necessary to seek a balance between industry and ecology.

The Middle Ages are one of the most romanticized eras. Books and films, as well as computer games about the Middle Ages, tell about it. When these times are mentioned, we immediately imagine knights, beautiful ladies, majestic castles and noble fights for the honor of the king, state and beloved. Of course, there are flashbacks with scenes from mass battles, when thousands of swordsmen, axemen, spearmen and horsemen run at each other and fight to the last drop of blood.

Today, together with you, we want to go back 500, or even 1000 years ago, to experience first-hand what it was like for people to live at the dawn of civilization. A list of games dedicated to the Middle Ages will help us with this. We compiled a kind of top and divided it into several parts, providing screenshots and videos. Let's see how the developers were able to convey the mood of peaceful life and war in a period when only the strongest survived.

Strategy games

Naturally, let's start with strategies. We won’t be surprised if most gamers’ acquaintance with the virtual Middle Ages began with this genre. We have a whole top 10 games with strategic elements in which you will control kingdoms and lead huge armies into battle.

Medieval: Total War - the birth of the legendary series

One of the first mass strategies with 3D graphics. The gameplay consists of two parts - turn-based strategy and tactical battles. Tactical mode is a world map on which states are located. You control one of them, constructing buildings, shining with diplomacy and sending troops in any convenient direction. The main task is to completely destroy or subjugate those around you. During tactical battles, real magic happens - scenes that were previously only seen in multi-million dollar blockbusters like Braveheart come to life on the monitor. Thousands of warriors, armed with bows, swords, shields, powerful horses and rough armor, fight on various battlefields with unique landscapes. And even if this was only a small step towards development in the right direction, the first Medieval remains one of the best strategies in the history of gaming.

Medieval II: Total War - kings, sultans and kings

The first part of medieval wars in style Total War came out in 2002. The sequel was destined to be released four years later - in 2006. Creative Assembly celebrated success Rome: Total War and intended to repeat it. And repeated - the second Medieval came out so cool that it is still popular, albeit largely thanks to user modifications. What's new? The graphics have improved, the physics engine has become much more realistic, and the scope has now become an order of magnitude larger. Imagine - more than 25 thousand people could fight on one battlefield with eight participants! It's not just realistic, but super-realistic. Large Medieval battles for the most part had just this scale. In normal battles, the game offered to control an army of 3-4 thousand fighters - also plausible. This fascinated gamers, who every day upgraded their empires, recruited troops and terrorized neighboring countries. If you think that you are capable and worthy of leading an entire nation forward, establish Medieval II: Total War!

The Settlers: Heritage of Kings - Economy and War

But here, although war is present in the form of simulated battles, it is not considered the main ingredient for success. IN The Settlers it is much more important to devote time to the economic processes of your state. Establish trade with your neighbors, extract resources, accumulate treasures, build an army and conquer everyone in the area. Yes, you won’t see mind-blowing battles here, but beautiful graphics, a pleasant atmosphere and a detailed historical setting will make you very happy! There is also a well-developed economic model - build infrastructure, manage taxes, distribute profits.

Crusader Kings ll - global strategy

Now you are the king. And you represent not the state, but your dynasty. You control vast territories filled with resources. Your subjects are peasants, warriors, generals, merchants and other individuals useful to society. Manage them, create competent development strategies and expand your possessions. A well-thought-out interface will help you with this, in which there are many tools for interacting with subordinates and enemies. Here it is not enough to build a building, hire 10,000 horsemen and brazenly take the enemy fortress. This process will last for long days, weeks, or even months. Negotiate with allies, follow palace intrigues, bribe or betray - a real king is ready to do anything for the sake of his kingdom.

Anno 1404 - we build and produce

We continue to list the best strategy games in the Medieval setting. Next up is the Anno series, a separate part of which is dedicated to the beginning of the Renaissance. This is a colorful strategy, the beauty of which is not in military operations, but in the art of conducting diplomatic and economic affairs. Build, erect, stack logs and pebbles - over time, from the headman of a weak village you will become the governor of a central city with huge revenue. The emperor himself will show you due respect and increase your salary. Become a medieval tycoon and show others that money is much more important than the sword.

Golden Horde - how the Mongols conquered the whole world

Even if not all of it, its territory is still huge. In the strategy genre, this game is considered far from a pearl, but it is worthy of attention. Here, battles take place in real time between the Russians and the Mongols, trying to divide power in the Slavic lands. It's interesting that the developers paid a lot of attention to the little things. Thus, the wind affects the lethality of archers, fire from burning buildings spreads to neighboring buildings, ice on rivers breaks when armored infantrymen thunder across it with heavy tread. Even though the basic mechanics are simple, such little things create an unforgettable mood.

XIII century. Glory or death - undeservedly forgotten

If Medieval ll was released in 2006 and is still popular, then about the development Unicorn Games Studio Few remember. But it appeared a year later and was considered a direct competitor Mediwala. True, the emphasis here is on tactical battles, and strategic planning is relegated to the background. The developers promised to bring depth to battles that was lacking in Medieval ll. Which is exactly what they did. True, the interface and graphics were a little let down, which, although attractive, were still slightly inferior to the main competitor. And the lack of a strategic map greatly influenced the decision of gamers - they shelved the project and continued to terrorize France and Germany in the series Total War.

King Arthur: The Role-Playing Wargame - taking off the rose-colored glasses

If there are those who think that the real King Arthur did nothing but flash his armor, make fiery speeches and knock over cups of wine at feasts, they will be disappointed. Most likely, in a pleasant way. After all, governing a state is a much more serious task. You will test this from your own experience by reincarnating as one of Arthur’s vassals, who was tasked with bringing order to the lands of Britain. Train fighters, build cities, stop or suppress riots, fight powerful opponents and accumulate chests of gold. Don’t rely on simple solutions and be prepared to respond to offenders - medieval life is full of worries and hardships, but you can handle it, because King Arthur himself is with you!

Lionheart. Kings Crusade - Total War defeated?

No, absolutely not. But for a change, you can also play this interpretation of medieval battles, based on a time-tested concept. The Crusaders are trying to conquer the East. But local residents are resisting. Who will win? It depends on the commanders. You will become one of them.

Stronghold - my home, my fortress

And, in the literal sense. Here you will build an impregnable fortress from scratch and defend it from hundreds of opponents. If your architectural genius doesn't fail you, every battle will be easy. But this is a real war, everyone can make mistakes.

RPG games

Now is the time to talk about role-playing adventures. After all, many gamers dream of transforming into a medieval warrior without consequences. We will be reviewing the best simulators of the real Middle Ages. Prepare your computer for time travel!

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is almost perfect

Albeit with average optimization and some bugs. Developers from Warhorse Studios focused on realism. Therefore, here you will begin your role-playing adventures in 1st person as the son of a blacksmith and spend enormous efforts on improving your life. No battles “one against ten” - any drunkard will beat an untrained young man here. But after a hundred hours of gameplay, you will still be able to put on strong armor and successfully defeat all enemies. If a time machine existed, this game would be the perfect training simulation for travelers.

War of the Roses - combat at its finest

If you are interested in how medieval warriors behaved during fights, run War of the Roses. Here your main character will be knocked out from the very first blow until you learn to control the weapon and use it skillfully. Train and win!

Mount & Blade - a ruthless world

The legend tells of a warrior who came, defeated the armies of all the rulers and himself began to reign in Calradia. And only you can realize it if you manage your resources wisely. Level up, recruit recruits, create an army, capture fortresses and make allies - it won’t be easy, but in the end you will become the ruler of the whole world.

MMORPG

From single-player role-playing adventures to multiplayer ones. There will be no picky realism here, but the gameplay will not become less interesting.

Conqueror's Blade - to the East!

The Middle Ages were not only in Europe. The Chinese history of those times can also surprise the fanatical gamer. Local developers decided to demonstrate this by creating a mixture of third-person action and real-time strategy with a multiplayer twist. There will be no dragons or anime characters here - you will be overwhelmed by cruelty and rage.

The Black Death - the world during the plague

One of the most realistic client-side MMO games with an open medieval world. You will start as a simple penniless villager and try to survive in 3rd person during a terrible epidemic.

Mordhau - Battlefield 1442

The project is still in development, but soon 64 people on each server will face each other, without tanks and machine guns, but with swords and bows, to win the title of the best warrior!

For laptops and weak PCs

What if you don't have the top-of-the-line computer? For this case, we have games about the Middle Ages on a weak PC.

Age of Empires 2 - will you live to see the Middle Ages?

After all, you will begin in time immemorial, almost in the Stone Age. But if your strategy is correct, you will lead your civilization to flourish.

Europa Universalis IV - the world is huge

And it can only have one ruler! Become the emperor of the entire planet in the grand strategy game from Paradox.

Rome: Total War - modifications rule!

The vanilla game is dedicated to Antiquity, we know. But here are dozens of cool mods that will take you a millennium into the future. Try it - on a PC with a weak video card this game will run without any lags.

Browser games

Finally, let's take a look at browser games about the treasured Middle Ages, which can be played on any system - the main thing is that you have a modern browser.

Legends of the Ancients - Slavic flavor

This online game has a large fan base - they all enjoy the cool plot, native setting and unique leveling system.

Princely wars - who is the strongest?

The answer to this question will be your victory over all enemies. But first, build a city and recruit an army.

Empire Online 2 - defending the throne

A browser-based strategy that will take you to the Middle Ages and allow you to create a kingdom. Develop the economy, hire an army, engage in diplomacy, make history.