Manor Lords developer says this is not the game you think it is

The developer of Manor Lords (Slavic Magic) has told players ahead of its early access release the game is not what they might think it is.

In a post on the Manor Lords Steam page, the developers clearly state Manor Lords is not a role-playing game like Mount & Blade and that the option of the player walking around town is purely cosmetic. I'm disappointed that my avatar is nothing more than cosmetic. I was hoping to get married and have children to appoint as generals, but the focus of the game is on city-building, and that's ok (tell that to my forever bachelor lord).

Furthermore, the developer team behind Manor Lords is not a Total War killer, but it does take inspiration from the famous franchise when it comes to combat. I am fine with this stance as I'm really not interested in complex hour-long combat sessions while my villagers ask me to build them a tavern and grow more vegetables.

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And if you're dreaming of the next fast-paced Age of Empire-like real-time strategy, you'd better temper your expectations. Manor Lords has "a more relaxed experience, with high-intensity moments spicing up atmospheric city-building." To me, the Manor Lords game concept is closer to the Settlers or Pharaoh than any other game.

To further cement their stance of not making false promises, the developer has decided not to release a roadmap for the time being; they want to listen to community suggestions and act accordingly. That's great news for all fans of the game, as it means there's a chance that the developer introduce family options for my manor lord!

Manor Lords early access is planned for April 26, 2024. While you wait, check out our list of the Best Building Games on PC on Pro Game Guides