The Middle Ages, the Medieval era, and the Renaissance are popular settings for many games. Thepossibilities for settings for medieval games are endless, and there are many possibilities for genres that can be attached to these settings. Medieval games can be within the historical or fantasy genre or be a mix of both.
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Games and franchises likeThe Witcher, Crusader Kings,andMedieval Dynastyhave all found success with a 3D visual art style, but there are games that fall within the same genre with a 2D art style that tell their own fantastic stories. These games can have art styles that draw inspiration from medieval books and other media, and they can have their own unique styles.
8Pentiment
Obsidian Entertainment’sPentimentis amurder-mystery game set in 16th-century Bavaria. Andreas Maler is an artist and illuminator for manuscripts, and his time in the village of Tassing is made difficult when his friend is accused of murder. Andreas decides to investigate the murder himself, believing his friend to be innocent. He involves himself in many local mysteries of the town while trying to build some sort of life for himself over a 25-year time span.
The game’s art style is reminiscent of the same illuminated manuscripts that Andreas tries to master. Everything from character design to font implementation was influenced by late medieval manuscripts.
7The Life And Suffering Of Sir Brante
Trying to improve one’s life and station is difficult, and Sir Brante is well acquainted with these obstacles. In a world in which a person’s station dictates their manner of living, it is widely unaccepted to try and climb the class-based ladder.
Born as a commoner, but with a noble father and an older brother that makes sure everyone knows of his elevated status, Sir Brante must make difficult choices that shape the outcome of his difficult life. Adding to the list ofstunning visual novels, the game is told by flipping the pages of a virtual book that looks like a manuscript, enabling players to feel like they’re reading a choose-your-own-adventure book.
6Apocalipsis
Like a medieval retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice of Greek mythology,but withBehemothfrontman Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski as the narrator, andvisuals likeThe Longing.Apocalipsis: Harry At The End Of The Worldfollows Harry as he tries to resurrect his first love, Zula, after she was executed as a witch.
The game’s visuals are inspired by 15th-century woodcut engravings and artists such as Albrecht Durer and Michael Volgemut. The dark, absurd, and whimsical allusion to artworks likeDanse MacabreandThe Expulsion from Paradiseis felt in all the dark and gritty corners of the world that Harry interacts with.
5The Pillars Of The Earth
The Pillars of the Earthis based on the Ken Follet novel of the same name. Thepoint-and-click puzzle gamechanges the canonical events of the book through the characters of Jack, Philip, and Aliena; as their choices shape the events of Kingsbridge and the Priory.
The game features a unique2D hand-drawn visual stylewith hand-painted backgrounds. The choice of graphics makes it feel even more like the novel as if players are paging through a graphic novel or art book to take in the story.
4Wildermyth
Wildermythis a procedurally generated and turn-based tactical role-playing game. Players develop their heroes and send them down varied game paths written by multiple authors. Each playthrough allows for gameplay that is unique, and every hero that players develop will turn out a little differently.
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The game’s art style can belikened to titles such asCuphead, Indivisible,andChild of Light. The characters look like 2D paper cut-outs in a 3D world. While the graphics may be disappointing to some players, the simpler take on graphics has the feel of character tokens moving around on a game board. This enhances the gameplay experience, which is similar toDungeons and Dragons.
3Yes, Your Grace
Yes, Your Graceis about King Eryk of Davern trying to balance the country’s gold, supplies, and people’s happiness. While dealing with these difficult choices as King, Eryk of Davern deals with two wars, and he must fight his own interpersonal battles with his family. Just one of Eryk’s struggles is marrying off his eldest daughter to gain an ally in his war against Radovia
The pixel art of the game may not be to everybody’s liking, but it is far from bad. Despite its simplicity, the design of each character and background elements are still pretty detailed, showcasing the Polish medieval architecture that inspired it.
2Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
Alchemy is usually a component of larger fantasy, medieval, and historical games. It can be a part of character builds or a game mechanic. InPotion Craft: Alchemist Simulator,the joy of cooking up potions to sell to the townsfolk to solve their various problems is the main draw of the game. Players experiment with different ingredients andfigure out the best recipesand alchemical methods that would best suit their play style.
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The game feels like stepping into a fantastical medieval book, filled with the yellowed pages and flourishes that one might find in late medieval manuscripts and medical texts. The inspiration is clear when viewing digitized medieval and renaissance medical manuscripts.
1Kingdom: Classic
Rags to Riches can be a fun concept for some players. In the colony sim, side-scrolling gameKingdom Classic, a new kingdom must be created from nothing on an empty piece of land. A King or Queen arrives on their horse in an area stricken with poverty, and the people residing there must be recruited to help develop this new kingdom.
The Monarch can source coins through farming, hunting, logging, and coin chests while exploring the wilderness. These coins are used to recruit people to become civilians for the kingdom. While settling this area, the Monarch can discover just why no settlement has lasted there.
