Stronghold is the game of my childhood. A little niche compared to others out there, but it brought together so many facets of components I enjoyed in other games together (RollerCoaster Tycoon, Caesar III, Age of Empires). It would take until I discovered the Total War series(and I was pretty late on that train) to find a game that surpassed it.The city planning, economic micromanagement, castle building and war making all in one delighful package. It's got some great classic British humour, with some very memorable adversaries in The Rat, The Snake, The Pig and The Wolf, and its amazing just how much playing against each of them corresponded to the impression their heraldry gave. What really sealed the deal for me, and why i kept coming back to this game, was its editor and the community that spawned from it. Extremely powerful and flexible, the sheer amount of incredible content kept me scrawling through dedicated forums for the game for years. It stands the test of time incredibly well, both aesthetically and from a gameplay perspective. If I'd had a steam tracker on it back in the day it would probably be my most played by a considerable margin.

Stronghold is the game of my childhood. A little niche compared to others out there, but it brought together so many facets of components I enjoyed in other games together (RollerCoaster Tycoon, Caesar III, Age of Empires). It would take until I discovered the Total War series(and I was pretty late on that train) to find a game that surpassed it.The city planning, economic micromanagement, castle building and war making all in one delighful package. It's got some great classic British humour, with some very memorable adversaries in The Rat, The Snake, The Pig and The Wolf, and its amazing just how much playing against each of them corresponded to the impression their heraldry gave. What really sealed the deal for me, and why i kept coming back to this game, was its editor and the community that spawned from it. Extremely powerful and flexible, the sheer amount of incredible content kept me scrawling through dedicated forums for the game for years. It stands the test of time incredibly well, both aesthetically and from a gameplay perspective. If I'd had a steam tracker on it back in the day it would probably be my most played by a considerable margin.