A new contender in the realm of medieval city builders has arrived. City Tales: Medieval Era launched today on Steam, blending familiar mechanics with fresh ideas to breathe new life into the genre.
As you’d expect, your first moments in the game feel like well-trodden territory: a few starting citizens in need of food, shelter, and jobs. You’ll be placing woodcutters near forests, hunters in the woods, and gatherers near berry bushes—city builder staples. But it’s what happens next that makes City Tales stand out.
Districts, Not Buildings
Instead of manually placing homes and structures tile-by-tile, City Tales hands some of that responsibility over to the people. You’ll define districts by drawing borders on the map, and your citizens take over from there—subdividing the land, choosing where to build their homes, and organically shaping your growing settlement. While you can still add key buildings like markets or wells to districts, exact placement is left to the villagers.
This design philosophy offers a refreshing shift from micromanagement-heavy builders. It gives towns a more natural, lived-in look—like communities that grow over time, rather than cities laid out with surgical precision.
Meet Your Companions
Adding to the charm, you begin the game with six named companions—characters you can rename and assign to oversee key production buildings like sawmills or quarries. As they work, they gain experience, improve their efficiency, and even train apprentices to eventually take over their roles.
Worried about running out of workers? Don’t be. Once their apprentices are trained, companions can move on to other tasks or continue developing their expertise, unlocking specialized bonuses.
And these aren’t silent, soulless units. They have personalities, preferences, and even aspirations. One player shared how Judith, a plank-producing worker, requested to be reassigned to a cattle farm—and even suggested a sheep farm instead, in line with her backstory of owning a loyal sheepdog. It’s these personal touches that make the citizens of City Tales feel more like part of your journey than just pieces in a puzzle.
More Than Just Another City Builder
With its hands-off housing mechanics, character-driven labor system, and emphasis on organic growth, City Tales: Medieval Era carves out a unique niche in the crowded city-building market. It offers enough familiar comforts for veterans of the genre, while introducing thoughtful changes that add charm, immersion, and replayability.
Whether you’re looking to build a bustling medieval trade hub or just want to watch a sheepdog-loving carpenter follow her dreams, City Tales might just be the fresh start you’re looking for.
