Manor Lords: 90% of Steam Reviews Are Overwhelmingly Positive

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Bawal Zehri

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Slavic Magic, a new studio from a solo developer, was pioneering the most ambitious city-builder for several years, adding real-time combat to make things even more interesting.

The game has finally arrived on Steam today, and thousands have rushed to share their first thoughts after a concurrent peak of over 150K players. Manor Lords has lived up to its expectations, with 90% of the reviews being positive.

Why it matters: The positive impressions and kind words will motivate the studio to invest more time in the game beyond this early access launch.

According to Steam, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Within a few hours of its launch, nearly 2,100 Steam users have reviewed Manor Lords. 

The reviewers describe the game as a solid release for a small studio, and some have even compared it to large AAA titles, dubbing Slavic Magic’s work as superior. As a medieval city-builder, the game has already kept players busy for several hours.

One particular review caught our eye. Steam user Father Foreskin has been testing various alpha builds, clocking in a total of 132.5 hours in Manor Lords. He described the project as a once-in-a-generation release, praising the developer for carefully addressing feedback from the earlier builds.

However, there is still room for improvement. Some players found it short on content, while others were left scratching their hands after they found themselves directionless and confused in the first couple of hours.

Still, these reviews are a rarity, with 91% of the current players appreciating Slavic Magic’s work. Meanwhile, critics are also praising the city-builder, though they have yet to issue scores on platforms like Metacritic.

What’s interesting here is that the game has arrived on day one on Game Pass. This means that 34 million subscribers will be able to try Manor Lords at launch.

It is interesting to see titles from big studios disappointing recently, while smaller developers are finding success.

Modern technology is slowly bridging the gap between AAA and indie games, so Manor Lords does not feel too inferior despite being a much cheaper and less intensive production than a typical AAA city-builder.

Since indie games are better than ever today, we appreciate Manor Lords setting an exciting precedent again. We also look forward to more smaller teams offering a creative approach to the gaming industry.

Bawal Zehri

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

Get In Touch: Laiba@hidgt.com