Despite being released all the way back in 2008, Mount & Blade and its expansions still stand out from the crowd in the domain of medieval strategy games. The combination of real-time strategy and third-person combat is something which few games have been able to implement so successfully.
Yet, though many games have tried and failed to reach the heights of M&B, there are plenty of gems out there that are worth trying if you’re into this style. We’ve rounded up the best one. Here are 5 games like Mount & Blade.
Battle Brothers Gameplay
Like Mount & Blade, Battle Brothers is a tactical battle RPG in which you lead a small battalion of mercenaries in a procedurally generated medieval world. The obvious difference to M&B is that the combat is turn-based, yet that doesn’t detract from the brilliance and brutality of the game.
You get to choose where to go, who to fight, who to hire, and how to upgrade your fighters. The characters you begin with each have a backstory, and each of them start with nothing. You must take on missions to earn money, build an army, and strategically learn how to advance throughout the game.
Granted, the graphics aren’t anything to write home about, but the game is deeper than it looks at first glance, and there is plenty to be getting on with. Indeed, this is a game that you can sink hundreds of hours into and is easily one of the best games like Mount & Blade around.
Download Battle Brothers on Steam
Kingdom Come Deliverance – Henry of Skalitz
Although lacking in the strategy aspect, Kingdom Come: Deliverance has excellent third person combat that is reminiscent of Mount & Blade. Plus, it is abrim with medieval vibes and the immersion makes you feel like you’ve been transported back in time.
It is common to hear of people giving up early with KCD due to the difficulty of the combat in the early game. Yet, this difficulty is what makes the game so immersive and satisfying. You start out with the battle skills of a peasant, and combat is painfully slow and sluggish, yet, as soon as the opportunity to train Henry becomes available, you can quickly hone your skills.
While you don’t get to recruit and manage armies in KCD, you most certainly get a tremendous storyline and excellent combat for those who are patient with the game. If you do decide to try it out, check out these beginner tips for Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
Starsector Gameplay
Often referred to as space M&B, Starsector is very similar to Mount & Blade in terms of its gameplay dynamics.
In Starsector you take control of your own army as a space captain, and must send them around the universe to trade, pillage, and conquer other kingdoms in order to improve your own. The combat mechanics are incredibly detailed and there is a bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to how the game plays, you can gain experience and level up your units.
This open-world space-combat game is incredibly vast and, with a very active dev team and mod support, it continues to grow and implement new content.
If you want to learn more about the game, check out the official Starsector website.
Mount & Blade 2 Gameplay
This might feel like cheating in a list of games like Mount & Blade, but the sequel released in 2020 is absolutely worthy of a mention. The game lives up to expectations and, by many accounts, even exceeds.
But there is no need to compare the games, and you can perhaps appreciate the second installment more if you treat it as if you are a newcomer.
The game boasts immersive and challenging combat, a well-implemented trading system, impeccable music, and an ever developing quest system.
With so much hype surrounding the game, it was always going to be the case that it didn’t meet many people’s expectations, but for anyone looking for games like Mount & Blade, I personally think that its sequel is a great place to start.
Kenshi Gameplay
Kenshi is a deep sandbox roleplaying game that often goes under the radar when discussing games like Mount & Blade. Yet, this game is truly phenomenal and the level of depth it has is almost overwhelming.
The graphics aren’t the best, and there is a fair bit of grinding involved to level up, but if you are a patient gamer Kenshi could easily become one of the best games you have ever played.
You can decide to build a powerful kingdom, become a highly skilled warrior, live life as a slave, or trade your way to the top. You can replay Kenshi multiple times and have completely different playthroughs each time.
Starting out as just a regular guy, you have the opportunity to upgrade a number of skills including martial arts, stealth, thievery, cooking, swimming and many more.
I can’t recommend this game enough if you are looking for games similar to Mount & Blade. Download Kenshi on Steam.
Which games do you think are similar to M&B? Did we miss any in our list? Let us know in the comment section below!
For any enquiries, contact [email protected]
For a more detailed review of Kenshi, check out the great YouTube review below by SsethTzeentach.