Just a few days prior to the release of Manor Lords, then the most-wishlisted game on Steam, Bellwright made its entrance with the odds stacked against it. Yet, similar to its competition, Bellwright is a standout in the early access scene, with developer Donkey Crew diligently refining it further, culminating in a substantial recent update. If you’re taking a break from Hooded Horse’s medieval strategy epic and are curious about something fresh, now might be the perfect moment to delve into Bellwright.
For those not yet familiar, Bellwright combines strategy and city-building as you navigate a medieval world, establish multiple settlements, and eventually challenge the monarchy. Initially, much like in Valheim, you’ll have to survive and scout for resources before deciding where to forge your new home. As your settlements grow, akin to Manor Lords, you’ll need to manage workers and keep order. But this calm won’t last indefinitely, as you must eventually lead armies in a style reminiscent of Total War, defending against bandits and empowering your people to retaliate.
With the latest update, Donkey Crew has introduced a significant change to how liberated villages function. Now, you can rally a village militia to aid against tougher foes. Villages also come with a prosperity level that influences their population, militia strength, and expansion capabilities.
To see your villages thrive, you must invest. This calls for allocating extra resources to your populace and safeguarding the village outskirts. Each village has its prosperity indicator, affecting militia strength and offering insights into recruitable citizens, potential enhancements, and your defensive garrison. This makes monitoring both village growth and safety easier.
They’ve also revamped town customization. You’re now able to lay down roads, manage logistics, and utilize new decorative elements to give each township a unique flair.
Further enhancing this update are a host of quality-of-life tweaks. You can now configure building settings before they’re completed, enjoy river-bound fast travel with the River Dock, and locate specific items or buildings within your community. Plus, with new quests, structures, and bandit camps, there’s plenty to keep you engaged.
Existing save files will still be compatible, although you might encounter odd bugs, such as previously chopped trees reappearing in the open world. For those who prefer the original version or have mods installed, you can access the older edition via Steam’s beta branch, fondly named “august_update.”
The Bellwright Villages 2.0 update is live on Steam right now as Donkey Crew continues to expand its early access version. Check out Bellwright if you’re intrigued.
If you’re on the lookout for more than just Bellwright, we’ve curated a list of top open-world games and RPGs for your enjoyment.
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