Lords of the Realm is a turn-based strategy computer game published and developed by Impressions Games. It was first released on June 15, 1994, and is the first game in the Lords of the Realm series.

Summary

The game takes place in a medieval setting, with several characters warring for the right to be either King of England or King of Germany. Players manage their armies as well as their land and population, build and lay siege to castles, and generally attempt to crush their enemies.

Battles between armies take place in a real-time environment, similar to real-time strategy games, with players able to control individual units as well as control them as a group, during which units group into formations. Players may also choose to allow the computer to determine the outcome of the battle. The game also features a small castle-building portion.

Release

The game was published by Impressions Games in the UK (Amiga) and US (DOS) both in 1994. It was distributed by Sierra On-Line Ltd. in the UK (Windows) in 1997, DMV Daten- und Medienverlag GmbH & Co. KG. in Germany (DOS) in 1997, and Axel Springer Polska Sp. z o.o. in Poland (DOS) in 2001.

In the Crucial Entertainment CD release of Lords of the Realm, the game came bundled with a 34-page PDF book of England Under Edward 1 written by Jennifer Hawthorne. This work described English history, ranging from the Norman Conquest through to the reign of King Edward I.

Critical reception