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Stronghold: Definitive Edition

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2023

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Quick resume

Greetings sire! Your stronghold awaits you. Build a castle economy, besiege unforgettable villains and return to the 'castle sim' that started it all. Experience this classic RTS with upgraded visuals, modernised gameplay, Steam multiplayer and a new campaign.

Global score

86/100

Genres

Simulator, Strategy, Real Time Strategy (RTS)

Similar games

    Pros

    • Faithful remaster with improved graphics and sound
    • Strong nostalgia and emotional connection
    • Challenging and rewarding gameplay
    • Creative castle building and map editor
    • Reasonable price with planned dlc and updates

    Cons

    • Lack of skirmish mode and ai opponents
    • Limited multiplayer cooperation and co-op
    • Some dated mechanics and pathfinding issues
    • Minor bugs and missing modern features
    • No significant story or character depth

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Competition, Status, Fellowship.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to build castles in any design, manage economy and defense with many options, and choose campaigns or free-build modes."

    • Competence
      3

      "Game offers challenging missions, especially on higher difficulties, requiring skillful resource and defense management."

    • Competition
      1

      "Multiplayer exists but no ranked or esports focus; some players enjoy multiplayer but no strong emphasis on competition."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Many players report long play sessions, nostalgia-driven habitual play, and anticipation for DLCs and updates."

    • Cooperation
      -2

      "Limited cooperation; no co-op vs AI or skirmish mode; multiplayer is mostly competitive or individual."

    • Creativity
      4

      "Players can design castles freely, use map editor, and create custom maps; strong creative building aspect."

    • Domination
      -3

      "Interactions are balanced with no reports of trash talk or dominance; multiplayer is respectful and fair."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use game for nostalgia, stress relief, and immersion in medieval castle building and defense."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal desire and nostalgia, not obligation or pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players try new castle designs, experiment with economy and defense setups, and explore new campaigns and maps."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Some exploration of new maps and scenarios, but mostly familiar environments and known gameplay."

    • Expression
      3

      "Customization through castle building and map creation allows self-expression within game mechanics."

    • Fantasy
      2

      "Medieval setting with some theatrical and humorous elements, but grounded in plausible castle building and siege."

    • Fellowship
      0

      "Multiplayer exists but limited social community features; mostly individual play with some social interaction."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players learn resource management, castle defense strategies, and improve skills over campaigns and challenges."

    • Health
      -5

      "Typical sedentary computer gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires continuous attention and management; not a background or idle game."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Minimal social or emotional connection; interactions are surface-level in multiplayer."

    • Leadership
      2

      "Players lead their own castles and armies, but no evidence of leading others in groups or teams."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong focus on accumulating resources, building upgrades, and completing campaigns with progression."

    • Relaxation
      3

      "Game offers a balance of challenge and flow; some players find it relaxing and nostalgic."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Visual and audio improvements enhance sensory experience but overall moderate stimulation."

    • Status
      0

      "No strong emphasis on social recognition or leaderboards; achievements present but not central."

    • Story
      1

      "Light narrative and lore present in campaigns, but story is not a major focus."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Requires planning, resource management, and tactical defense/offense strategies."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Some suspense in defense and siege missions, but overall controlled and predictable gameplay."

    • Value
      4

      "Players perceive good value for price with added content, updates, and nostalgia factor."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat and siege are central mechanics involving destruction and fighting."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players must manage resources and defend against threats to survive and succeed."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026