14 DAY TRIAL // Tsvetanka is busy telling three different lumber mill crews exactly how to conduct their business, making sure that they push for maximum productivity for the next three days. Her sister, Egorka, is doing the same with people working the fields and then, up the production chain, to those working in the grain mill.
Meanwhile, the peasants are putting up more dormitories for the incoming migrants, while the third sister, oldest Medena is off on a diplomatic mission. I plan to sell wood, copper, and some beer when the caravan next rolls around to get the gold needed for some new books.
Then the entire family will spend a lot of time in the library, unlocking new knowledge and finding ways to then put it to work. We don’t have much of an army, so we need a strong economy to create a surplus, which might be needed to hire some mercenaries.
Norland is developed by Long Jaunt and published by Hooded Horse. I played a preview version of the game on Steam. It is set to launch into Early Access, where it will remain for about one year. The title combines town management with political and social mechanics.
Players first create a ruling class, choosing from a range of cultures and initially family setups. Then, it’s time to pick a region to inhabit and exploit, taking into account resources and the opportunities they present. The game features a world based on real-world Medieval Europe, with a very powerful church, nobles that order lower social classes around, and towns that are always on the brink of economic ruin.
Norland’s gameplay is equally interested in town-building and character interactions. Players will put down buildings, starting off with lowly lumber mills and crop fields, while also making sure that everyone has a place to sleep. Once a building is completed, the peasants aren’t sure exactly what it’s for. So, every three days, a lord needs to come by and explain how to make it productive, conferring bonuses at the same time. This keeps the nobles busy moving between locations, even if they have more important things to do.
They should be spending time in the library, studying books bought from the caravan to learn about new technologies and how they can be used to improve lives and gain more gold. Or one of them could be leading a small army to deal with bandits or if something truly bad happens, an invasion.
Norland gives nobles plenty of interaction opportunities. They can play dice, they can engage in conversation, they can teach, or they can simply drink and mingle. Players need to take desires and needs into account while directing these characters, making sure that their loyalty doesn’t drop low enough to drive them to rebellion.
I like the title’s mix of gameplay ideas, although the busywork of returning to buildings to give them orders isn’t very appealing. I worry the world isn’t interesting enough to keep gamers engaged, because it doesn’t have the appeal of a classic fantasy property nor the complexity of real history.
Norland isn’t aiming for a sumptuous depiction of its Medieval-inspired universe. The top-down view doesn’t deliver a ton of detail and rulers are mostly portraits at the top of the screen, lacking the gravitas that their actions suggest. But the interface is well-designed, with nested info screens that deliver a ton of detail. The sound design is good, with a soundtrack that works well to enhance the gameplay.
Conclusion
The task-driven gameplay takes some getting accustomed and I sometimes feel like they take time away from the interpersonal interactions. Norland will appeal to fans of strategy experiences that like building and complex social systems.
Preview key provided by the publisher.
