Rare is a videogame that doesn’t feature at least one sword, suit of armor, or roast chicken. Still, they’re usually mixed in with bearded hermits slinging magic fireballs, which we’re reliably informed your average medieval peasant had very little knowledge. To that end, we’ve assembled a list of the best medieval games that eschew prophecy and pyrotechnics for good, old-fashioned steel-on-steel action.
Medieval games come in all different shapes and sizes, with some opting for a more fantasy game style. Here are our top picks of good medieval games that deserve a spot in your library.
Here are the best medieval games of all time:
1. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Taking place at the tail end of the medieval period, KCD2 is perhaps the most complete, and most dedicated RPG we’ve played that involves swords, barons, and getting so filthy you get told to f-off by the local barkeep. Following up from the flawed but entertaining Kingdom Come Deliverance, we stay firmly in the feet of Henry as he embarks on a new journey with old pal Hans.
You’ll get into everything that 15th-century Bohemia has to offer, including but not limited to: playing dice, wooing the locals, dueling contests, defending castles, plots, ploys, and everything in between. It can be a lot to get your head around, so check out our KCD2 review to get a feel for the game, and when you’ve settled, we have the best KCD2 swords here so you can defend yourself when the time comes.
2. Inkulinati
Despite what most entries on this list would have you believe, the Middle Ages weren’t all about swinging swords and charging about on horseback. If you were a medieval monk, your days would be spent sequestered in your monastery creating medieval manuscripts – and that’s exactly what Inkulinati is all about.
This turn-based strategy game plays out across the illuminated pages of these same manuscripts. Historic literary giants such as Hildegard von Bingen and Dante Alighieri go head-to-head with living ink, sending armies of rabbits, foxes, and man-eating snails into battle. It doubles as one of the best Steam Deck games as well, so you can take your inkwell on the go.
3. Manor Lords
Manor Lords is still in early access, but it’s worth taking the time with this medieval city builder as you wait for the full-fat release. In Manor Lords, you’re tasked with building a medieval settlement from scratch, with all the challenges that come with it. Starting with some loyal villagers and a smattering of tents, you’ll soon expand into a thriving town with an army at your fingertips.
Of course, it won’t be long until word gets out that your coffers are flush with grain and gold, and a rival lord comes knocking. Eventually, you’re forced to defend yourself against bandits and enemy armies, carefully managing your resources to expand at just the right pace. Manor Lords is a challenging, yet satisfying game, and though all the features aren’t yet accessible, we’re looking forward to what’s to come.
4. The Procession to Calvary
The Procession to Calvary is an adventure game with a medieval comedy twist. Solo developer Joe Richardson adopts the quintessential style of stop-motion animation popularized by Terry Gilliam and channels it into a point-and-click that’s every bit as silly as his muse. The holy war is over, but your journey to track down the wily and elusive Heavenly Peter has just begun, as you embark through a medieval world constructed scrapbook-style from cut-outs of famous Renaissance artwork. The venerable works of Rembrandt and Botticelli are repurposed by Richardson to create a world both lavish and surreal.
The Procession to Calvary’s striking style might have already won you over, but it’s also got the substance to match it. Interact with the kingdom’s courtiers and peasantry alike with the ‘verb coin’ menu, and engage in quick-witted dialogue that’s guaranteed to appeal to any passing Python-head. You can also draw your sword and cut down anyone getting a bit too big for their boots, though be warned – unbridled murder can sometimes cause just as many problems as it solves. With copious gags and a dollop of philosophical musing, The Procession to Calvary will have you sniggering into your cup of mead.
5. Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord understands what combat in medieval games is all about, and that is the feeling of being part of an extremely dangerous mosh-pit, jostling for a few inches of space to swing your mace into someone’s forehead, who then dies instantly because that’s how maces and foreheads work. You’re never further away than an arrow in the eye from death, meaning Bannerlord’s massive battles thrum with vitality, tension, and danger.
If this medieval game were just about creating openings and trading blows, it would still be a damn good time, but Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord’s squelchy skirmishes take place in a substantial medieval sandbox. There are caravans to build, companions to meet, and side-quests to fulfill between commanding your troops in immersive RTS battles. It’s a mash-up of open world, simulation, and RPG that’s so unique to Bannerlords, and no other medieval game comes close.
Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord has since left early access, but there are a few rough spots to iron, cracks to smooth out, and breastplate stretchers to fetch. Still, it’s one of the finest medieval games for fans of huge battles… or just moving from one city to the next to sell large quantities of cheese.
6. Crusader Kings 3
Paradox Interactive’s grand strategy games have a reputation for impenetrability, but we’d bet our favorite heirs that that’s set to change now Crusader Kings 3 is out. It’s not only the most instantly accessible of Paradox’s oeuvre; it achieves this without sacrificing an inch of depth, making it one of the best medieval games out there, according to our Crusader Kings 3 review.
Crusader Kings 3 stands out from the medieval games crowd for one crucial reason: it’s about people, not empires. As much an RPG as it is a statistic-laden map painter (perhaps more so), an average session of Crusader Kings 3 focuses on the triumphs, failings, victories, and heartbreaks of an individual ruler and the people close to them. It’s a magic box you click on to make extraordinary stories come out of.
On a given day, you might task your spymaster to fabricate evidence that your second cousin has been practicing witchcraft, giving you an excuse to imprison them and strip them of land and titles. Or, you might spend a lifetime devoted to your faith only to create your nature-worshipping splinter branch and spend your twilight years ruling stark-naked but for a glorious imperial crown. It’s got something for everyone, or at least everyone who enjoys a healthy bit of conniving, backstabbing, and betrayal.
Should you decide to take to the throne, we have a Crusader Kings beginners guide, a Crusader Kings faith guide for forming your customized religions, and the best Crusader King 3 mods for those wishing to tweak the game to their heart’s content.
7. Chivalry 2
While there are a few pretenders to the throne, nothing is quite like the first-person knight combat game that started it all, except for its sequel, Chivalry 2. Clash blades with foes on huge battlefields, fire arrows from the relative safety of the castle walls, or knock down enemy fortifications with catapults and other siege technology. There is a wide range of customizable options for your knight over ten subclasses and 30 unique weapons.
Fancy charging towards a peasant village with nothing more than a lance and a shield, but on horseback? You can do just that. The most recent Winter War update adds a new map, the quarter-staff, and even the opportunity to become a warrior king. So saddle up and read our Chivalry 2 review if you’re still undecided, or make your mark on history, by reading our Chivalry 2 beginners guide and learning which are the best Chivalry 2 classes before jumping into battle.
8. A Plague Tale: Requiem
As the sequel to the captivating A Plague Tale: Innocence, Requiem continues from where the first game left off. It essentially looks and plays the same as this bleak, mud-packed medieval game packed with darker moments of tension and despair. You’re still weaving in between waves of killer rats while taking cues from stealth games to get around guards.
However, the changes in Amicia and Hugo truly feel like their past has molded them. Amicia is psychologically traumatized to the point where her hatred and rage build her into a sadistic loathing of soldiers. In the words of our Plague Tale: Requiem review, “the Amicia of Innocence is gone, replaced by a young woman whose thirst for vengeance has shattered her.” Requiem teeters on the paper-thin line between justice and revenge, and it’s only a matter of time before it tips into tragedy.
9. Total War: Medieval 2
Before there were the zombie pirates and nuke-dropping rat men of Total War: Warhammer 2, there were a bunch of dudes in armor with pointy sticks ready to fight and die for their liege’s right to eat peacock seven times a week instead of only six. Total War: Medieval 2 is not only a classic of the Total War series but one of the finest marriages of medieval games and grand strategy.
Though perhaps offering a unit roster less diverse than the games that follow it, the instantly recognizable strategic application of Medieval 2’s infantry, cavalry, and missile units makes it a great entry point into the series for new players. It’s also full of neat features that haven’t made it into the more recent Total War games, like the rousing (often Python-esque) speeches that your generals rattle out before a battle.
10. For Honor
Many of the medieval games we’ve covered so far have been focused on strategy or simulation, but For Honor is all about the immediate clash of steel-on-steel. Although it does feature a story campaign, For Honor is primarily a dedicated PvP experience. Players choose one of several factions including vikings, knights, or samurai, then take part in intense competitive team battles lent cinematic flair by NPC combatants on all sides.
For Honor has been out long enough to find an established competitive community, so new players to the experience may be in for a steep learning curve. Persevere, and you’ll be rewarded with graphically impressive, meaty duels, plus an answer to the age-old question, “Could my samurai dad beat up your viking dad?” If you’re still unconvinced, check out our For Honor review to learn more about how it works.
11. Bad North
Strategy titles can bring to mind complex interfaces, endless statistics, and Matryoshka doll-like menus within menus. Bad North is the opposite and makes its case to strategy-inclined fans of medieval games with its minimal, sleek interface.
Constructed atop the stalwart genre pillars of rock-paper-scissors matchups and unit positioning, Bad North sees you defend a series of procedurally generated islands from Viking invaders. Upgrades between missions and steadily increasing challenges and complexity keep things interesting. Plus, it’s lovely to look at, at least until your tiny, adorable soldiers get axed in the face and the crisp, inviting snow gets stained red with their entrails. As I say, adorable stuff.
12. Northgard
Eagle-eyed enjoyers of Viking games may notice this sounds similar to the last game we listed. Yes, they both contain the word ‘north’. And yes, they both feature Vikings in some capacity. But while Bad North is a minimalist roguelike game, Northgard is a fully hatched RTS seagull swooping down to steal your time and possibly your chips.
This isn’t just one of those RTS games of the buildy-clicky-attacky variety, either. It’s got that, sure, but also a fleshed-out town management system. You can assign recruits to various roles in your settlements, and various victory conditions allow for different play styles. Also, if you get the DLC, it has battle cats. Perfect.
13. Age of Empires 2
Age of Empires 4 may be the newer game, but we still love the spruced-up definitive edition of Age of Empires 2 for medieval combat. It’s not strictly just a series of medieval games, but it handles each era so well that we’re saying it absolutely counts.
It’s a testament to how well-made those classic titles were that we still talk about the second game with such high praise. It features classic RTS combat with a massive unit variety, trade, and expansive technology trees. It’s still got a pretty healthy competitive scene, too.
14. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt
Shifting into the more fantastical branch of neo-medievalism, The Witcher 3 is a masterclass in blending historical eastern European influences to present a grounded medieval fantasy. CD Projekt Red’s adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels is harsh and morally grey, forcing you to question every decision you make. Even the most just choices can lead to the worst outcome for Geralt of Rivia.
Indeed, this fantasy RPG offers much more substance than mindless monster-slaying, and its ambitious worldbuilding is backed up by exquisite combat, a fantastic cast, and the outrageously addictive Gwent, a card game that will keep you in its clutches for hours on end. What’s more, there are two top-tier DLC expansions to explore, so get ready to lock in for the next 100+ hours.
So, there are the best medieval games for all your head-chopping, plate mail-wearing, and mead-chugging needs. Once you’ve had your fill of the medieval era, check out the best strategy games for large-scale political battles. Prefer the sword-swinging side of the gold coin? Our list of the best war games is also worth a peek.