Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game developed by Slavic Magic and published by Hooded Horse. It entered Steam Early Access on April 26, 2024, and the store page gives no set date for leaving Early Access. You grow a settlement, manage its supplies, and defend or expand its territory when conflict arises.
Those tasks compete for the same people and resources. Roads and residential plots shape where villagers live and work; fields need suitable soil and labor at the right time of year. Goods must be carried and processed, while trade can bring in missing supplies or sell a surplus. Calling up the militia also takes workers away from the settlement economy.
Planning a Village and Its Supplies
Buildings and roads are placed without a fixed grid, so the terrain influences a town’s layout. Larger residential plots can support backyard extensions that add resources such as food. Planning therefore involves more than fitting in houses: plot size, routes, and access to raw materials affect what the settlement can supply.
Soil fertility and the seasons matter to farming. Elsewhere, production depends on labor and transport between gathering, processing, consumption, and trade. A new building has limited value if materials, haulers, or workers are needed elsewhere.
Trade, Regions, and Battles
Regions offer different resources, giving trade and specialized settlements a role in filling supply gaps. Military options include militia, a retinue, and mercenaries, with battles fought in real time. Mobilizing residents has an economic cost because they cannot do their usual village work while serving.
Current Branches and Player Guides
The August 2026 main-branch update added features including Wide Valley, cows, cider, and advanced construction. September’s beta 0.8.110 separately tests mandatory crop rotation, fertilizer, and six Rural Foundations perks; beta hotfix 0.8.111 addressed specific field displays and harvesting problems. Those beta changes should not be assumed to be on the normal branch. Read the farming beta coverage for the changes, or use our Steam beta and save backup guide if you want to test the branch on Windows.
