Summary
- Many gaming genres have kingdom-building features, from survival games to grand strategies.
- Mount & Blade blends strategy with first-person action, while Dwarf Fortress offers unparalleled building freedom.
- Players must balance exploration with city development and army production to build strong kingdoms.
Renowned for their usually slower pace and tactical-mindedness, kingdom-building games see players undertake the role of a leader, whether as a protector of NPCs, a ruler, or a god. For players, their goal is to keep their kingdom alive. Whether defending their settlements personally or providing them with the means to protect themselves, players can rest assured that they will be rewarded for their efforts with power, wealth, and respect.
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While the term kingdom builder is often associated with grand strategy games like Crusader Kings, it spans many genres and forms, from first-person builders like Colony Survival to dynasty builders like The Guild 2.
Updated February 17, 2025 by Mati Kent-Nye: Like a proud parent, there's nothing more satisfying for players than watching their lovingly crafted empire rise to power and crush their enemies beneath their newly developed feet.
The options are endless in these games. Players can choose to specialize their kingdom for countless purposes, including conquest, wealth, or diplomacy, so long as it ultimately brings them victory. For players who haven't got their fill of the genre yet, here are some more engaging kingdom builders to try.
1 Colony Survival
First-Person Kingdom Building
Colony Survival
- Released
- June 16, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- First-person co-op strategy game.
- Players must balance colonist needs with city building.
- Kingdoms are bombarded by ever more powerful monster hordes each night.
Colony Survival is a first-person strategy game set within a medieval world. Players lead their colonists, building sprawling cities to protect them from nightly monster hordes. Cities are costly to make, however, and players must keep their colonists fed and healthy to ensure the survival of their kingdom.
Colony Survival's base building gives players a tremendous amount of creativity and customization options when it comes to building their settlements. No two settlements are ever the same, from tiny outposts to sprawling fortresses. This game also pressures players to build and bolster their defenses as monster hordes become increasingly more powerful. The gameplay loop does, however, become repetitive as players find themselves cycling through a handful of actions for hours on end.
2 The Guild 2
Destroy The Competition
The Guild 2: Renaissance
- Released
- July 27, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Strategy
- Dynasty builder life simulator.
- Variety of ways players can build their dynasty and rule over cities.
- Players must balance improving their current character with that of their children.
The Guild 2 is a life simulation strategy game. Players play as the impoverished founder of a new dynasty in a medieval world. Become a wealthy trader, holy healer, or sticky-fingered rogue; the choice is in players' hands, so long as they can out-compete rival dynasties. No one said the game had to be fair. Political intrigue and violence are just as viable a means to eliminate threats as financial prowess.
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The Guild 2 is a fantastically multifaceted game. Whether making powerful thugs, financially lucrative businesses, or accruing political power, there are endless ways for players to win. As a multi-generational game, players must also balance improving their current characters with that of their children. Dynasties will quickly crumble under sub-par successors.
3 Kingdom Two Crowns
Build And Defend Towns
Kingdom Two Crowns
- Released
- December 11, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Co-op tower defense town builder.
- Players must defend their towns from Greedlings.
- Becomes more difficult as time passes.
Embark into the medieval fantasy world of Kingdom Two Crowns: a co-op tower defense. Building strong, well-protected towns is vital, as under the cover of darkness, Greedlings emerge, intent on pillaging anything they can get their hands on.
The gameplay sees players hop from island to island, building towns and ridding the land of Greedlings. Every day that passes sees the Greedlings strengthen and seasons progress, so players will have to move fast if they are to keep pace with the Greedlings' ever-growing numbers. The seasons themselves also pose unique challenges. Winter is particularly harsh, leaving players with little money with which to build defenses due to the absence of animals and farming.
4 Mount & Blade Series
A Strategy-Action Hybrid
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
- Released
- October 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- TaleWorlds Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Strategy
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Strategy-action RPG.
- Players can conquer cities and establish a nation.
- A powerful kingdom is built on strategy and real-time combat prowess.
The Mount & Blade series is a strategy-action RPG hybrid. Players must learn to survive in a brutal medieval world where brigands and overzealous nobles lurk around every corner. Players can recruit armies, wage wars, and conquer cities to claim the continent as their own.
This series is a unique gaming experience that expertly blends strategy with action-filled first-person combat. Poor choices on the strategic map will make combat very difficult, while a bad battle will limit players’ options on the strategic map. These games also evolve organically as players grow in wealth and renown, from a single army and personal battles to commanding a nation and managing castles.
5 Dwarf Fortress
Building Safety In A Hostile World
Dwarf Fortress
- Released
- August 8, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Strategy, Simulation
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Survival sandbox city builder.
- Gather resources, build a fortress, and fight off fiends.
- Endless ways for players to build their fortresses.
Dwarf Fortress is a survival sandbox city builder. Build a fortress to protect settlers against the horrors of this medieval fantasy world. Players must learn how to keep their settlers happy and healthy while gathering resources to increase their fortress' strength and wealth.
Dwarf Fortress gives players unprecedented levels of freedom with their fortress building. Complex and varied building mechanics allow players to build anything they can dream of. From decadent throne rooms to deadly lava traps, creativity is the only limit in this game. Players are also allowed to choose where in the world they want to build their fortress, giving access to an array of unique biomes, monsters, and factions.
6 Total War: Rome 2
Complex Strategies
Total War: Rome 2
- Released
- September 2, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Creative Assembly
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Tactical
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Multiplayer turn-based strategy game.
- Players must rise to power in a highly competitive world.
- Two-part gameplay featuring kingdom management and real-time combat.
Step back in time to a world of chariots, mounted archers, and berserking warriors in Total War: Rome 2. Here players must conquer, build, and negotiate their way if they are to survive the shark pit of over 100 rival nations. Alliances can be as strong as the sword, but it's up to players to choose how, when, and if they use them.
What makes this game such a fantastic kingdom builder is the complexity of gameplay. The survival of a player's nation rests as much on their ability to perform slow, calculated strategy as it does instinctive split-second decision-making. Players aren't just managing a kingdom but also its battles. In a world where victory can be the difference between success and ruin, it's up to players to balance both gameplay elements if they want to build a thriving kingdom.
7 Crusader Kings Series
Manage An Empire
Crusader Kings 3
- Released
- September 1, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teens: Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Grand Strategy
- Grand strategy dynasty simulator.
- Endless ways for players to build and strengthen their kingdoms.
- A strong leader is vital for maintaining a powerful kingdom.
The Crusader Kings series is a grand strategy game with dynasty simulation. Players are the rulers of a nation in a historical medieval world. Raise armies, conquer the land, and launch political schemes; players can pursue power and wealth by any means necessary.
This game is a kingdom builder in the literal sense, with players building their nations up from rags to riches. Players must not only build their kingdom and rulers' strength but also that of their heirs, as a nation will not long outlive its ruler with an unsuitable heir. Random events also add chaos and tension to the game, as players can never predict how their conquests and political schemes will unfold.
8 Age Of Wonders 4
Endless Options
Age Of Wonders 4
- Released
- May 2, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Triumph Studios
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based Strategy
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- 4X turn-based strategy game.
- Building the most powerful kingdom is key.
- An endless variety of kingdoms for players to build.
Explore the beautiful high fantasy worlds of Age Of Wonders 4 in this brutal turn-based strategy of conquest and world domination. Power is the name of the game here, as players must form armies, build kingdoms, and research magic to destroy their rivals, lest they be destroyed in turn.
Age Of Wonders 4 features unprecedented variety in its gameplay and kingdom-building. Character creation alone features several races, society traits, and ruler types to choose from, each featuring unique advantages and drawbacks. Once in the game, there are nearly endless types of kingdoms players can build. Whether they specialize in collecting certain resources, choose conquest over alliances, or strength over expansion, the choice is theirs!
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