Back in May of last year, I wrote a review of Manor Lords. Then in September, I covered a major update that really helped to change this innovative medieval city builder in fundamental ways. It was also the start of Manor Lords Early Access period on Steam.

I’ve been playing this amazing title for some time now, and there’s now a brand-new major update to make this revolutionary builder even better. Keep in mind that Manor Lords is being made by a very small team and is really mostly a developer who is just one person. And yet, the developer Slavic Magic continues to add amazing updates that are a treat for both new players (who now find a more feature filled environment when they begin) and veterans who are not shy about asking for new things.

For me personally, this new update is really amazing, and I would like to share about it with you all. If you are looking for a really well-done builder that is fun to play even in Early Access, then look no further.

And now, on to the updates!

New Maps

The most recent update introduces two maps that bundle perfectly with the Germanic map that was the default for Manor Lords.

I have not tried the high peaks area yet, as I went directly to the amazing river map. And good thing too, because Manor Lords now lets you build bridges. They are expensive, of course. You need to construct a lot of planks for each and every bridge. But having them in place is amazing and really opens up the map across rivers.

In addition to just having the new maps, you now can randomize where you start, which can be challenging in and of itself.

However, the main challenge I have been experiencing is getting put in a territory with no iron deposits. Without iron ore, I can’t make spears and sidearms in time to defend against bandit raids. I tried making an archery unit, but they just kind of tickled the raiders. Unfortunately, if you don’t defeat the raiders when they first show up, it’s essentially game over as they just hang around preventing you from rebuilding.

Market Restructure

Slavic Magic also developed a dynamic economic system for the marketplace. Before the update, I had complaints with how every station in the market drew my people and created personnel shortages. The developers have since changed it so that just the people assigned to run the storehouse and the grainery get tapped to manage the market stalls. This allows greater ease in moving labor where it is needed, especially in the early part when you have fewer people. Manor Lords also adjusted the building costs of multiple structures and items to allow players to take more advantage of the different items available like planks, leather, tools, and other resources.

The market changes have made it much easier to build up regional wealth. And that regional wealth can be moved to the treasury for hiring mercenaries (a possible solution for your bandit problems) or used to purchase materials and weapons at the trading post. While I know there will be more balances especially with farming, the current balances have already made a positive difference in what is already a really fun game.

Overall

While there were a few other adjustments that were made in Manor Lords, these were some of the major ones at least in terms of boosting my play style. In Early Access, these major updates can really bring the players back to Manor Lords, and it’s nice to see the title fully supported.

If you already own Manor Lords, now is a great time to try out the new features. And if you don’t own it, this innovative city builder is definitely worth the purchase.