Highlights

  • 2024 is shaping up to be an impressive year for video game releases, with Manor Lords currently being the most wishlisted game on Steam.
  • Manor Lords offers a unique city-building and real-time strategy experience in a historically-authentic medieval setting.
  • With a gridless placement system and emphasis on urban planning, Manor Lords stands out among other games in its genre.

While 2023 is widely considered to be one of the best years for video game releases ever, 2024 is shaping up to be quite an impressive year in its own right. Though the year lacks big names like The Legend of Zelda, Mortal Kombat, and Spider-Man, it does have Tekken, Final Fantasy, Prince of Persia, and so much more. Those are only the games that have come out so far, too, as there are a whole lot more games set to debut this year, with Manor Lords being one of the most surprising.

A vast number of games are still slated for a 2024 release, and a number of those have found themselves right at the top of Steam's Top Wishlist page, indicating that millions of people are already interested in checking out the game upon its eventual release. Hotly anticipated games like Frostpunk 2, Stalker 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Hades 2 are all right at the top of that list, but there's one game that currently sits above all the rest, and that's Manor Lords, a title that's just surpassed 3 million wishlists on Steam.

A Steam Deck with a PlayStation 1 logo on the screen
Related
Steam Deck - How to Play PS1 Games

Figuring out how to play PS1 games on the Steam Deck can be confusing. For those struggling, this guide makes the process clear and easy to follow.

Manor Lords Is Currently The Most Wishlisted Game on Steam

What Is Manor Lords?

Originally announced all the way back in 2020, Manor Lords is an upcoming medieval strategy/city-builder that's set to launch on April 26 2024. In Manor Lords, players assume the role of the titular member of nobility as they construct their very own medieval village from the ground up. Players begin with a central marketplace and continue to build their village from there, creating houses, hunting lodges, farmyards, and a range of other medieval-themed structures, all of which can be placed via a completely gridless system, allowing for total freedom of placement.

While the vast majority of Manor Lords will see players carefully construct and manage their medieval village and all of its resources, not all of Manor Lords is peaceful. Occasionally, players will become embroiled in some kind of conflict, whether it's being harassed by bandits, or an invasion from a rival village. In these moments, Manor Lords turns from a city-builder into a real-time strategy game, putting players in charge of an army of indispensable villagers. Each battle is an intense struggle for survival, and each death means one less worker to plow the fields or hunt game, which could quickly lead to the devastation of an entire village.

Why Is Manor Lords at the Top of Steam's Wishlists?

As mentioned up top, Manor Lords is currently the most wishlisted game on Steam, with it having officially surpassed 3 million wishlists at the time of writing. This is an incredible feat for an Indie game like Manor Lords, let alone one with such a niche premise. But it's exactly this niche premise that's getting fans so excited to try Manor Lords.

Manor Lords will also be available via PC Game Pass upon its April 26, 2024, early access launch.

While city-builders, real-time strategy games, and hybrids of both can be found easily by just scrolling for a second on Steam's store page, Manor Lords is offering a few things that most aren't. A gridless placement system, an emphasis on urban planning, and a robust real-time strategy combat system, all packaged into an incredibly unique, historically-authentic medieval setting make Manor Lords a must-try for so many PC gamers. Still, it should be noted that Manor Lords is only entering early access on April 26, so fans can't expect the game to be complete right off the bat.