Info about Norland:

Official game description:
The Empire has fallen, leaving in its place multiple successor kingdoms. The lords and ladies of these petty kingdoms squabble for control and influence – whether with cloak and dagger or sword and shield, families feud amongst themselves and against each other as greater threats cast a shadow across the land. Famines wreak havoc on the lives of the peasantry, warfare and disunity threaten the social order, noble families fall to decadence and hedonism, and beyond the borders of the old Empire, great armies of pillage and destruction form under the banners of invader-kings.
In these uncertain times, you must lead your small kingdom to greatness – and the members of your noble family to survival – in this medieval colony sim focussed on generating stories of great valor and vile treachery.
Your family rules from on high, working together – or against one another – to take charge of your city, your kingdom, and your political ploys. Each family member has their own strengths, weaknesses, and ambitions that drive them as they build complex relationships amongst themselves and with foreign rulers. Witness blooming friendships, drunken escapades, and brutal assassinations as your nobles dole out orders to your peasants, lead armies into battle, and study ancient texts brimming with knowledge.
*   A plethora of skills determine which of your family members are best served performing various tasks – who among them are the greatest warriors, the greatest taskmasters, the greatest scribes, and the greatest negotiators? Seek opportunities to further train their strengths, educating children to secure the future of your line while unlocking additional talent in future generations.
*   Beyond their skills, each family member has traits that determine their personality and capabilities, varied cultural backgrounds that influence how people perceive and treat them, and a wide range of needs and desires to keep an eye on. Dissatisfaction breeds resentment, envy, and disloyalty, and that’s when the daggers come out. Will you seek to calm tensions through gifts and camaraderie, or will you draw first blood to eliminate any threat to your preferred nobles?
*   Sometimes the blood you draw belongs to your own kin – driven by ambition, greed, and opportunistic thinking, the members of your family will draw blades against each other given the right circumstances. From scorned lovers and power-hungry siblings to family members influenced by foreign kings and queens, trust is in short supply.
*   Your kingdom’s capabilities are determined by what your nobles know – they will individually study ancient texts to learn new technologies, and should they perish, that knowledge will be lost with them (unless recorded or passed along to their students). Acquire books in different languages and read them to unlock new buildings, tools, and opportunities for your kingdom. Ensure more of your family members can learn their secrets, translating the texts into a language they speak as needed, preventing a sudden loss of knowledge resulting from a stray arrow. But will you hoard such knowledge in your libraries? Or will you transcribe these writings to trade to others in exchange for immense wealth and resources? After all, knowledge is power…
The common folk of Norland are the backbone of any kingdom, serving their noble lords on the battlefield and around the city with deference and loyalty… until their bellies become empty or the beer runs dry. With different backgrounds, needs, and thoughts of their own, the peasants are difficult to please and easily manipulated into rebellion, crime, and controversy – will you address their complaints as a benevolent lord or answer them with the executioner’s ax?
*   Acting through your nobles, tell your peasants where to work, what to prioritize, and when to fight – though you lack direct control over the lower class of your society, they still have hopes, dreams, and relationships of their own. Managing them carefully is critical for success as they are the ones who maintain the complex production chains of your city and are responsible for building structures, harvesting resources, and producing the very goods that keep them satisfied.
*   Your average peasant will rely on their accrued wealth to lead a fulfilling life. Manage the wages handed out at the end of each day as well as the cost to purchase basic needs like food and beer at the local market to ensure the people stay motivated. High wages and low costs are also an excellent way to encourage migration, but be careful of who you might welcome to your lands.
*   Peasants hail from different cultures, often at odds with one another, and having them coexist in your small city can be challenging. You can use this friction to your advantage at times, but if the populace has an issue with your noble family’s heritage, you might find hiring additional guards the key to a long life.
*   Some peasants are devout adherents to the Church of Saint Sophia, and will care most for a noble’s piety, while loyalist peasants simply need enough money to buy food and beer to remain happy. Other factions and sub-factions have different priorities – as you expand and grow stronger, expect these groups to form shifting alliances where they find common ground. Even when they’re formally on your side, though, their actions and methods might not be to your advantage, and you will never escape the consequences of their separate agendas.
*   When tensions flair, don’t hesitate to establish a nightly patrol, or to give a few unruly members the literal ax. Sending a clear message will often bring the peasants back in line – but do not imagine yourself invincible, as even a great lord is one angry mob away from becoming a head on a pike.
Norland is set in a rich world with a vibrant past – its inhabitants form a tapestry of different cultural backgrounds with checkered relations, and the power vacuum left in the wake of the Empire’s collapse has given rise to uncertain times. In the distance, an Unholy Horde grows ever stronger, pillaging and burning all in its path, while elsewhere the Church of Saint Sophia uses faith to maintain an iron grip on vast resources.
*   The Empire ruled over a vast tract of land, and its collapse has left behind many successor kingdoms vying for control. Resources vary from kingdom to kingdom, with each potential starting region providing the player different advantages to harness and challenges to overcome.
*   Send your appropriately-skilled nobles to seek out alliances through marriage, negotiate lucrative trade deals, plot assassinations and kidnappings, and incite rebellions. Will you attempt to recruit spies and conspirators in foreign kingdoms and bring them down from the inside, or do you prefer to settle your differences through force of arms on the open field of battle? And how will you respond when, inevitably, your enemies infiltrate your ranks or bring their armies to your borders?
*   Watch history play out as events and calamities put you in difficult circumstances from time to time, further complicating the intricate tale of betrayal and bravery that the countless nobles and peasants of Norland weave. From kidnapped relatives to plague-infested refugees, from blackmail to natural disasters, your family will be put to the test throughout the years.
*   Do not expect the world to sit idly by – traveling nobles will seek refuge or sow dissent, and just as you can send your family members and envoys out to seek opportunities, so too can the other kingdoms of Norland. Bandits will establish camps in the outskirts of civilization as other kingdoms push for alliances and engage in wars of their own. WIll you join them in their violent endeavors, or work in isolation instead?
When all else fails, blades are drawn and bloodshed settles disputes. Raise your citizen militia, motivate prisoners to fight for their freedom, and put your nobles in command to inspire the troops – but whose life will you put on the line when the banners are raised?
*   Dissent and rebellion will see your peasants raise arms against you, and while a poorly armed riot can be crushed by a well-trained and loyal militia, some groups plotting against you will not be so lightly armed, and a succession crisis or power-mad relative may become your greatest threat. Keep public order in check and stay on guard against enemies hiding in your midst.
*   Your warriors are the very people that tend to your fields, brew your ale, and cheer on your executioners – war is not to be taken lightly as valuable lives are risked with each battle. Will you avoid bloodshed at all costs, or are the lives of your people a sacrifice you’re willing to make?
*   The equipment in your warrior’s hands and on their backs must be either imported or manufactured locally, limiting the makeup of your armies based on your economy – plan ahead before declaring war, and before war is declared on you.
*   Defend your home against foreign invaders or march across the world map and dive into all-out battle commanding the forces you’ve raised and armed – morale, combat skills, and tactical prowess can determine the victor, but no one is safe in the chaos of clashing steel.
Through a multitude of scenarios to choose from and a plethora of options that define your nobles and the world around you, Norland allows you to build a society and tell a unique story of any kind – warmongers with penal legions fighting for their freedom, highly educated religious zealots trying to spread the faith, wealthy multicultural idealists hoarding tomes of knowledge, treacherous spymasters plotting assassination and intrigue… what tale will you tell?

Release date: Jul 18, 2024

Categories: City Builder, Political Simulation, Diplomacy, Character Relationships & Romance, Medieval Setting, Resource Management, Strategy, NPC Interaction

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The reviews indicate that the game has plans for future DLC content, which is mentioned multiple times. However, there is also a clear statement that the game does not include microtransactions or battle passes, which is a positive aspect. There is a complaint about the base price of the game, but this is not related to predatory monetization.
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game experiences significant stability issues, including frequent crashes and freezing, particularly on the Steam Deck. Additionally, the UI scaling and text readability are major concerns, with users finding the text too small to read comfortably. Combat mechanics are criticized for lacking depth and tactical control, and there are notable performance and optimization issues, especially in the later stages of the game.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence consistently suggests that the game is not worth its current price of $30. Multiple reviews mention that the game is overpriced, especially at $30, and that it should be purchased on sale. The general sentiment is that the game lacks sufficient content and depth to justify a higher price point.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 50.0h
  - Story completion: 25.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides direct and indirect mentions of playtime. The first quote mentions a 20-30 hour experience to finish the game, which aligns with the story completion metric. The second and third quotes mention 50 hours to complete the game, which aligns with the game completion metric. The fourth quote does not provide a specific playtime but supports the idea of extended play sessions.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts with a steep learning curve and initial challenges in resource management and population growth, but it becomes more enjoyable as players progress and unlock more features.
  - Stance: Fun after initial grind
  - Anchor: Unlocking the chancellery at 40 population
  - Time to anchor: 3h 0m
  - Friction: Steep learning curve; Insufficient tutorial; Complex resource and relationship management; Tedious early game tasks
  - Unlock drivers: Accumulating population; Unlocking features and buildings; Progressing through the tutorial
  - Conditions: Reaching 40 population; Unlocking the Chancellery; Balancing resource production and relationships
- Player Archetypes:
  - Strategy Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoys complex strategy and management gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on resource management, city building, and strategic combat.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: strategy gamer; management fan
    - Reference games: RimWorld; Crusader Kings; Dwarf Fortress
  - Development Supporter (buy)
    - Motivation: Supports ongoing development and enjoys seeing continuous improvements.
    - Playstyle: Engages with the game regularly, provides feedback, and follows updates.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: early access supporter; developer fan
    - Reference games: RimWorld; Crusader Kings
  - Cautious Optimist (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Sees potential but waits for further development.
    - Playstyle: Plays occasionally, waits for updates and improvements.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: cautious gamer; potential believer
    - Reference games: RimWorld; Crusader Kings
  - Role-Playing Immersionist (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoys immersive role-playing and storytelling.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on character development, cultural differences, and narrative-driven gameplay.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: role-player; storyteller
    - Reference games: Battle Brothers; Crusader Kings


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Fun and enjoyable gameplay (weight 0.28): Many players describe the game as fun, enjoyable, and entertaining. The gameplay is often highlighted as unique and quirky, making it a favorite among players.
- Active and dedicated developers (weight 0.27): The developers are noted for their active involvement in improving the game, fixing bugs, and adding new features. Players appreciate the frequent updates and the developers' responsiveness.
- Similar to RimWorld (weight 0.19): The game is frequently compared to RimWorld, with players noting similarities in gameplay and style. It is often described as a blend of RimWorld with other elements, making it appealing to fans of that game.
- High replayability and addictive (weight 0.16): The game is described as having high replayability and addictive gameplay. Players find it stable and rich, providing many hours of enjoyable gameplay.
- Medieval setting and atmosphere (weight 0.15): The game's medieval setting and atmosphere are highlighted as special features. Players enjoy the medieval environment and the blend of political drama and economic management.
- Engaging diplomacy and politics (weight 0.15): The game features engaging diplomacy and political intrigues. Players appreciate the diplomatic options and the complexity of political plots.
- Interesting and unique concept (weight 0.15): The game is praised for its interesting and unique concept. Players find the implementation of the concept impressive and engaging.
- Positive overall impression (weight 0.09): Players generally have a positive impression of the game, noting its potential and overall goodness. The game is described as nice and good overall.
- Worth the price (weight 0.09): Many players feel that the game is worth the price, especially for fans of management games. The richness of gameplay justifies the purchase.
- Love and potential (weight 0.09): Players express love for the game and its potential. The game is seen as beautiful and made with care, indicating a promising future.
- Frequent and substantial updates (weight 0.08): The game receives frequent and substantial updates, which players appreciate. These updates contribute to the game's ongoing improvement and development.

Common complaints:
- Optimization and performance issues (weight 0.11): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to lag and performance issues. Players also report problems with pathfinding, which affects the overall gameplay experience.
- Insufficient content (weight 0.11): Players frequently mention that the game needs more content. It is often criticized for having too little content and lacking detail, making the game feel limited and incomplete.
- Presence of bugs (weight 0.11): Players encounter various bugs while playing the game. Although these bugs are not always critical, they can still be frustrating and impact the overall enjoyment.
- Incomplete and poor translations (weight 0.11): The game has incomplete translations with many parts left untranslated. Some translations are machine-translated and of poor quality, which can detract from the player experience.
- Balance issues (weight 0.09): The game has notable balance issues that affect gameplay. Players feel that certain aspects of the game are poorly balanced, leading to an unbalanced and unfair experience.
- Population management problems (weight 0.09): There are issues with population management, including problems with village management and fear mechanics. Optimization issues with large populations also contribute to these problems.
- Frustrating game controls (weight 0.07): Players find the game controls frustrating and limited. The game can feel clunky and difficult to play, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Book and technology system (weight 0.07): The game requires players to purchase and study books to unlock features. The initial hours involve accumulating enough population to buy books, which can be a slow and tedious process.
- Interface readability issues (weight 0.06): There are issues with interface readability and usability. Players find the UI text difficult to read and navigate, which affects the overall experience.
- Inadequate tutorial (weight 0.06): The tutorial is too short and inadequate, often considered a waste of time. Players feel that the tutorials need refinement to be more helpful.
- Prisoners frequently escape (weight 0.06): Players report that prisoners frequently escape, even with patrols. Slaves can also die or escape, which can be frustrating.
- Limit on lords (weight 0.05): Players find the limit on lords too restrictive. The limit of 6 lords is considered too low, and players desire more lord titles.
- Ineffective patrol system (weight 0.05): The patrol system in the game is outdated and understaffed. Players find that patrols do not work effectively, which impacts gameplay.
- Limited interactions (weight 0.05): There are limited interactions between rulers and villagers, as well as with individual peasants. Players find the interaction system restrictive and in need of more options.

Gameplay feedback:
- Medieval city-building focus (weight 0.31): The game primarily focuses on city-building and management within a medieval setting, incorporating elements of social life simulation and political strategy.
- Diplomacy and politics (weight 0.19): Players engage in diplomacy and political maneuvering with other nations, involving intrigue and managing relationships with lords and nobles.
- Complex character relationships (weight 0.17): Character interactions and relationships are intricate, involving social dynamics, conflicts, and political intrigue.
- Combat and military mechanics (weight 0.13): The game features combat mechanics, including army management, AI behavior, and various combat scenarios like sieges and raids.
- Resource management challenges (weight 0.12): Players face economic challenges and must manage finite resources, including housing and various items, to sustain their city and population.
- Strategic decision-making (weight 0.12): The game offers a strategic map and requires players to make flexible decisions, including military strategies and managing multiple objectives.
- Population and economy management (weight 0.12): Players must manage population satisfaction and economic systems, including internal trade and resource allocation.
- Map and story generation (weight 0.1): The game features random map generation and emergent storytelling, creating dynamic and challenging gameplay scenarios.
- Management and strategy blend (weight 0.09): The game combines management simulation with strategy elements, offering a mix of micro-management and storytelling.
- Character control and attachment (weight 0.05): Players can control and observe characters, forming attachments and managing their interactions and development.
- Moral and religion mechanics (weight 0.05): The game includes mechanics related to morality, religion, and mood systems, adding depth to character interactions.
- Challenging game difficulty (weight 0.05): The game is noted for its challenging difficulty, which can sometimes lead to player frustration.
- Frequent updates and community involvement (weight 0.05): The game receives frequent updates and involves community feedback, adding new mechanics and improvements regularly.

Performance notes:
- Optimization issues (weight 0.27): The game suffers from various optimization problems, including poor performance with many buildings, inhabitants, and large armies. Players report lag and performance drops as the city grows.
- Occasional bugs (weight 0.08): There are reports of occasional bugs that, while not critical, can affect gameplay. These bugs include minor issues and slowdowns that can usually be fixed by reloading the game.
- Frame rate drops (weight 0.08): The game has issues with frame rate drops, especially as the number of inhabitants increases. This affects the smoothness of gameplay and can be particularly noticeable on mid-range PCs.
- Performance on different systems (weight 0.07): The game runs well on high-end systems like the 4090 and even on lower-end systems like a Radeon 780M. However, performance can vary significantly depending on the hardware.
- Game speed and lag (weight 0.07): The game can feel laggy, especially on high refresh rate monitors like 144Hz or 180Hz. There are also reports of stuttery movement and general lag issues over time.
- Memory and processing issues (weight 0.06): The game has memory leak issues and can be demanding on the processor, especially during late-game processing. This can lead to performance dips and crashes.
- Specific bugs and issues (weight 0.05): There are specific bugs reported, such as letters disappearing after a while, combat system bugs, and issues with generating save files. These bugs can impact specific aspects of gameplay.
- Installation and settings (weight 0.04): The game has a light installation size, but there is a need for settings to reduce screen processing load. This can help improve performance on various systems.
- Slow game startup (weight 0.02): Players report that the game has a slow startup time, which can be an inconvenience when launching the game.
- FPS lock (weight 0.02): The game is locked to 60 FPS, which can be a limitation for players with high refresh rate monitors.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for genre fans (weight 0.19): The game is highly recommended for those who enjoy role-playing, strategic gameplay, and management games. It is particularly praised by fans of deep and character-driven management games.
- Improve and expand gameplay mechanics (weight 0.11): Suggestions include improving migration mechanics, adding more diplomatic options, and expanding combat and military systems. Players also want more research and a transparent skill learning system.
- Add more content and variety (weight 0.07): Suggestions include adding more voice variety, special illustrations, cutscenes for events, and musical accompaniment.
- Add online and co-op features (weight 0.06): Players suggest adding online features, including a co-op system and an online mode for trading, talking, and managing cities.
- Wait for sale or trial (weight 0.06): Some players suggest waiting for a sale or a free trial before purchasing the game to ensure it meets expectations.
- Enhance character interactions and customization (weight 0.04): Players want enhanced character interactions and relationships, along with more customization options like hairstyles.
- Fix bugs and mechanics (weight 0.04): Players suggest fixing bugs with crossbow damage and enemy shooting mechanics, as well as improving the prisoner and escape systems.
- Not for constant combat seekers (weight 0.04): The game is not recommended for those expecting constant combat. Players looking for constant combat are advised to consider games like Total War or RimWorld.
- Improve territory visuals and usability (weight 0.04): Players suggest improving territory visuals and usability, including an option to control terrain steepness.
- Add festivals and subplots (weight 0.04): Suggestions include adding festivals and subplots depending on culture and rulership style.
- Add quick keys and queueing actions (weight 0.04): Suggestions include adding quick keys for building movement and removal, as well as queueing actions for characters.
- Fix FPS issues (weight 0.02): Some players advise not to buy the game until the FPS issues are fixed.
- Add fantasy races as DLC (weight 0.02): Players suggest adding fantasy races like elves and dwarves as DLC.

Other player notes:
- Good value for money (weight 0.03): Players feel the game is worth the price, especially when purchased during a sale.
- Desire for mod support (weight 0.03): Players have expressed interest in having mod support added to the game, which could enhance gameplay and replayability.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.26): Players are frustrated with the game's complexity, management issues, and various bugs. Performance problems such as lagging, crashing, and poor optimization also contribute significantly to this frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players enjoy the game's addictive and engaging gameplay, as well as its unique blend of management, strategy, and storytelling. The open world, political intrigues, and frequent updates also contribute to a positive experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Players feel disappointed due to the game's lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and various bugs. The game's high price for an unfinished product and the lack of depth in certain mechanics also contribute to this sentiment.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Players are excited about the game's unique elements, frequent updates, and potential for future improvements. The engaging narrative and complex gameplay mechanics also contribute to this excitement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Players are satisfied with the game's depth, strategic gameplay elements, and the developers' active support and updates. The blend of management, strategy, and storytelling provides a fulfilling experience.
- Frustrated (weight 0.06): Players are frustrated with bugs, poor game design, and lack of content. Performance issues and tedious task management also contribute to this frustration.
- Positive (weight 0.05): Players have a positive outlook on the game's unique features, complex gameplay, and engaging core mechanics. The active developers and frequent updates also contribute to this positivity.
- Hope (weight 0.04): Players hope for future improvements, optimizations, and new mechanics. They believe in the game's potential and the developers' creativity and support.
- Anger (weight 0.04): Players are angry about game crashes, frequent bugs, and poor game mechanics. The lack of clear development goals and unfair punishment systems also contribute to this anger.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the game's unique mechanics, frequent updates, and potential for future improvements. The mix of different game styles and engaging gameplay also contribute to this excitement.
- Hopeful (weight 0.02): Players are hopeful about the game's future improvements and updates. They appreciate the developers' attention and believe in the game's potential.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Players find joy in the game's depth, complexity, and enjoyable gameplay. The fun and addictive nature of the game, along with its updates, contribute to this joy.
- Happy (weight 0.02): Players are happy with the game's enjoyable and interesting gameplay. The blend of game genres, modern interface, and positive feedback on graphics and character design contribute to this happiness.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Players are enthusiastic about the game's depth, potential, and developer support. The compelling gameplay and detailed suggestions for improvement also contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the developers' dedication, frequent updates, and fixes. The pleasant visuals and interesting concept of the game also contribute to this appreciation.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game's complexity, depth, and challenging gameplay. The enjoyment of management aspects and the medieval environment contribute to this love.
- Engaged (weight 0.01): Players are engaged with the game's deep and complex gameplay mechanics. The family dynamics and immersive experience also contribute to this engagement.}