10 Great Medieval Games to Play Right Now, Including Manor Lords

ign.com:

The European Medieval period has always been an era of fascination, especially in games. This age has inspired some of the best low fantasy romps and strategy games that have endured as classics for generations. With that in mind, we’ve made a list of our own, with samplings throughout the ages that may inspire you to pick up a title or two if you’re in want of something truly, medieval-y, immersive.

While some of these games are no doubt a head above the rest, this list includes some of the best games either set in the Medieval Times (also known as the Middle Ages), or have worlds and scenarios inspired by this time period.

Crusader Kings remains endlessly entertaining in how it weaves the social dynamics of being part of Medieval society directly into its gameplay. Playersassume the role of a leader of one of a dozen real nations that existed throughout the Middle Ages. How you navigate your time as a monarch is entirely up to you. Scheme, flatter, court, and manipulate at will.

Describing the mechanics of Crusader Kings can be a little difficult, as the game is so dense the best way to get a feeling for the game is to simply play it. It feels almost impossible to ever “finish” a game of Crusader Kings, I probably never will. But I will never forget how I had been demoted from the position as the Duke of York several times over, only to be reinstated as the Duke of York every two years after the previous Duke and Chancellor to the King of England had been poisoned or fallen ill. It’s fascinating to watch my character move from being a lowly serf to a Duke based on politics I honestly did not understand and alliances I did or did not make through accidentally influencing a change in the religion during one of my several tenures as Duke. Crusader Kings encapsulates all of the weirdness of the politics of the Medieval Times, which is what has propelled it to the top of our list.

Pentiment is a side-scrolling 2D murder mystery game set in the 1500’s. Players assume the