Manor Lords pulled off something rare. It fused a slow, organic medieval town-builder with real-time tactical battles, then wrapped the whole thing in obsessive historical detail. You grow a single village into a working settlement, wrangle supply chains, and command your levies when a rival lord comes knocking.
Since it is still in Early Access, the wait between updates can feel long. If you have already squeezed every drop out of your town and want more of that build-it-from-nothing feeling, these 15 games deliver from different angles. Some nail the settlement building, some go deeper on economy, and a few bring sharper combat.
Quick Comparison: Top 5 Picks
| # | Game | Focus | Price | Platforms |
| 1 | Farthest Frontier | Survival building | $34.99 | PC |
| 2 | Foundation | Organic building | $34.99 | PC |
| 3 | Banished | Survival building | $19.99 | PC |
| 4 | Going Medieval | Colony sim | $29.99 | PC |
| 5 | Anno 1800 | Economy | $59.99 | PC |
1. Farthest Frontier
Why it’s similar
This is the closest match on the list. It is a medieval survival city-builder where you settle wild land, grow food, and defend against raiders, covering almost identical ground to Manor Lords.
What makes it unique
It leans harder into survival than Manor Lords. Villagers catch diseases from bad water, crops fail without rotation, and wildlife hunts your foragers. Combat plays out as wall defense rather than open-field tactics.
Key features
- Deep food, health, and crop-rotation systems
- 16 raw materials and over 190 buildings
- Tower-defense-style raider combat
- From the studio behind Grim Dawn
Price: $34.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Steam and GOG.
2. Foundation
Why it’s similar
Foundation shares Manor Lords’ gridless, organic building. There are no rigid tiles, so villages sprawl naturally along the land, which gives it the same relaxed medieval town feel.
What makes it unique
It is more sandbox and less pressure. There is no combat to speak of, so the focus stays on watching your medieval city grow beautifully while you manage smooth production chains.
Key features
- Free-form gridless placement
- Monument-building system for churches and castles
- Zone-based resource gathering
- Relaxed, sandbox-first pacing
Price: $34.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Steam and GOG.
3. Banished
Why it’s similar
Banished is the ancestor of the modern survival village-builder that Manor Lords refined. You keep an isolated medieval settlement alive through food shortages, harsh winters, and no outside help.
What makes it unique
It is pure and unforgiving. There is no combat and no tech race, just a fragile population where one failed harvest can quietly wipe out your whole village.
Key features
- Isolated settlement survival
- Seasonal food and firewood management
- Health and population balancing
- No combat, just resource pressure
Price: $19.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Steam and GOG.
4. Going Medieval
Why it’s similar
Going Medieval mixes medieval settlement building with colony management. You raise a walled village, arm your settlers, and defend against raiders, hitting the same build-and-protect loop as Manor Lords.
What makes it unique
It adds full 3D terrain tools and vertical construction. You can dig underground caverns or stack multi-story forts, and each settler is a distinct character with traits and needs.
Key features
- 3D terrain sculpting and vertical building
- Character-driven settlers with unique traits
- Raider waves and trap-based defense
- Deep crafting and research
Price: $29.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Steam and GOG.
5. Anno 1800
Why it’s similar
If the supply chains were your favorite part of Manor Lords, Anno 1800 takes that idea to its peak. You produce raw goods, refine them through layered chains, and keep a growing population satisfied.
What makes it unique
The setting jumps to the Industrial Revolution and the complexity dwarfs Manor Lords. A single luxury good can require several intermediate products sourced across multiple islands.
Key features
- Multi-tier production and trade networks
- Island-hopping expansion
- Campaign, sandbox, and multiplayer
- Arguably the best city-builder Ubisoft has made
Price: $59.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.
6. Kingdoms and Castles
Why it’s similar
This is a lighter medieval city-builder where you grow a town, keep peasants fed, and wall up against Viking raids and dragons. The core kingdom-building loop mirrors Manor Lords at a gentler pace.
What makes it unique
It is approachable and quick to learn. The charming low-poly style and simpler systems make it a low-pressure pick when you want kingdom building without the deep simulation.
Key features
- Simple, approachable city building
- Viking raids and dragon attacks
- Castle walls and tower defense
- Budget price point
Price: $14.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Steam and GOG.
7. Timberborn
Why it’s similar
Timberborn is a colony builder driven by resource chains and long-term planning, the same skills Manor Lords rewards. You lay out districts, automate production, and prepare for lean seasons.
What makes it unique
You lead lumberpunk beavers instead of medieval peasants, and the standout mechanic is 3D water physics. Building dams to survive recurring droughts gives it a hook no medieval builder has.
Key features
- 3D water physics, dams, and terraforming
- Two beaver factions with distinct tech
- Vertical architecture to stack buildings
- Drought cycles that force forward planning
Price: $34.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.
8. Against the Storm
Why it’s similar
Against the Storm keeps Manor Lords’ satisfying loop of gathering, refining, and growing a settlement, then adds constant pressure that keeps you making sharp resource decisions.
What makes it unique
It is a roguelite. Settlements are temporary and you carry upgrades forward across a world map, so instead of perfecting one town you build many under a ticking clock.
Key features
- Roguelite loop across multiple biomes
- Manage humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies
- Deep meta-progression between runs
- Endless replayability
Price: $29.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.
9. Frostpunk 2
Why it’s similar
Frostpunk 2 scales up city-building into district planning and society management, echoing the way Manor Lords asks you to balance growth, supply, and the demands of your people.
What makes it unique
The setting is a frozen apocalypse and the twist is politics. You manage warring factions inside a council hall, and heat, not food, is the survival resource that keeps everyone alive.
Key features
- Large-scale district building
- Faction politics and law-making
- Post-apocalyptic frozen survival
- Story campaign plus endless sandbox
Price: $44.99 Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Where to Buy
Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.
10. Northgard
Why it’s similar
Northgard blends city-building with real-time strategy, much like Manor Lords pairs town growth with battles. You claim territory, assign villagers to jobs, and manage seasonal survival.
What makes it unique
It is faster and more competitive. Matches run 30 to 90 minutes with Norse clans racing for victory through conquest, trade, or lore, and winter creates sharp seasonal pressure.
Key features
- Territory-based expansion by tile
- Multiple Viking clans with unique perks
- Several win conditions beyond conquest
- Fast competitive and co-op modes
Price: $34.99 Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Where to Buy
Available on Steam and GOG.
11. Stronghold Crusader HD
Why it’s similar
Stronghold Crusader is the classic castle sim that paired economy building with medieval sieges long before Manor Lords. You balance a working town economy against real-time battles.
What makes it unique
It is old-school and desert-set, built around the Crusades. The focus tilts more toward castle design and siege warfare than the naturalistic town-growing of Manor Lords. A remastered Definitive Edition is also available for players who want upgraded visuals.
Key features
- Castle building and siege warfare
- Full medieval economy management
- Four historical campaigns and 100+ skirmishes
- Budget classic with a modern remaster option
Price: $9.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Steam and GOG.
12. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Why it’s similar
Bannerlord shares Manor Lords’ love of medieval warfare and territory control. You raise armies, manage a fief, and fight massive real-time battles across a living sandbox.
What makes it unique
It is an action RPG first. You create a character and fight in the thick of battle yourself, mixing combat, trade, diplomacy, and conquest rather than pure city building.
Key features
- Skill-based first and third-person combat
- Huge medieval sandbox with dynamic factions
- Raise armies and command in real time
- Deep modding support
Price: $49.99 Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Where to Buy
Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.
13. Total War: Medieval II
Why it’s similar
Medieval II delivers the large-scale medieval conflict that Manor Lords only hints at. You manage a kingdom on the campaign map, then fight enormous real-time tactical battles.
What makes it unique
The scale is far grander. You control entire empires across Europe rather than a single lordship, blending turn-based strategy with battles of thousands of soldiers.
Key features
- Grand campaign map with full kingdom management
- Massive real-time tactical battles
- Dozens of playable factions
- A modding scene still active after years
Price: $19.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Steam.
14. RimWorld
Why it’s similar
RimWorld is a colony sim built on resource management and constant crises, the same tension that keeps Manor Lords engaging. You keep a settlement running as problems pile up.
What makes it unique
An AI storyteller generates emergent, character-driven drama. Your colonists form bonds, feud, and break down, creating stories no scripted medieval campaign could produce.
Key features
- AI storyteller that shapes each run
- Deep colonist psychology and relationships
- Enormous modding community
- Survival across varied biomes
Price: $34.99 Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Where to Buy
Available on Steam and GOG.
15. The Settlers: New Allies
Why it’s similar
The Settlers is a settlement-builder built around deep supply chains and economy, the same production focus that anchors Manor Lords, paired with real-time battles.
What makes it unique
It brings the long-running Settlers series into a modern reboot with three factions. Reception has been mixed since launch, but the classic build-up-and-conquer loop is intact for fans of the formula.
Key features
- Chain-based economy and production
- Three factions with different playstyles
- Story campaign plus 8-player skirmishes
- A modern take on a classic series
Price: $39.99 Platforms: PC
Where to Buy
Available on Green Man Gaming and Steam.
Full Comparison Table
| # | Game | Focus | Price | Platforms |
| 1 | Farthest Frontier | Survival building | $34.99 | PC |
| 2 | Foundation | Organic building | $34.99 | PC |
| 3 | Banished | Survival building | $19.99 | PC |
| 4 | Going Medieval | Colony sim | $29.99 | PC |
| 5 | Anno 1800 | Economy | $59.99 | PC |
| 6 | Kingdoms and Castles | Casual builder | $14.99 | PC |
| 7 | Timberborn | Colony sim | $34.99 | PC |
| 8 | Against the Storm | Roguelite builder | $29.99 | PC |
| 9 | Frostpunk 2 | Society survival | $44.99 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| 10 | Northgard | Strategy RTS | $34.99 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| 11 | Stronghold Crusader HD | Castle RTS | $9.99 | PC |
| 12 | Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord | Action RPG | $49.99 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| 13 | Total War: Medieval II | Grand strategy | $19.99 | PC |
| 14 | RimWorld | Colony sim | $34.99 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| 15 | The Settlers: New Allies | City + RTS | $39.99 | PC |
Conclusion
If it was the medieval town building that hooked you, start with Farthest Frontier, Foundation, and Banished. They share the most DNA with Manor Lords and will feel instantly familiar.
If you wanted deeper systems, Anno 1800 and Timberborn reward careful supply-chain planning, while Going Medieval and RimWorld pull you into colony storytelling. And if the battles were the draw, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, Total War: Medieval II, and Northgard scratch that medieval combat itch far harder than Manor Lords does today. Any of these 15 will keep you busy until the next Manor Lords update lands.
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