Are you on the lookout for some building simulation games like Stronghold Crusader, which can be played on your PC or laptop? Well, then you will definitely find this list which we have made very useful as it contains some great games related to this genre. In the following titles you are free to use your imagination and build huge cities with the help of just a few laborers. And if you are skilled at managing labor and wealth then your success is assured in whatever mission or objective you choose to take up.
Released for Windows PC, Stronghold Crusader, or rather say Stronghold: Crusader, is a sequel to Firefly Studio’s Stronghold. It’s set in the Middle East at the time of the Crusades which were military campaigns aprroved by the Latin Roman Catholic Church. Of course, even if you spent most of History lessons in a daze, you can’t have missed the Crusades which were not just driven by religious purposes, but economics and politics too.
The game in question consists of a bunch of campaigns as well as a Crusader Trail which offers linked missions in which you will have to face various opponents. The real-time strategy title is mainly about conquest and expansion of the territories you’ve won, while you will also have to defend these from outside forces. Without further ado, here are 7 more games you’ll want to sink your teeth into if you’re a fan of the Stronghold series.
1. Tropico 4:
The very first one on this roster of games similar to Stronghold Crusader is Tropico 4 created by Haemimont Games. Here, you will get to play as the eccentric El Presidente and attempt to build up a fabulous island city that is heaven on earth for all of its inhabitants. You can manage numerous things such as controlling the economy, entering into trade with other nations and constructing entertainment facilities for your people. The last mentioned includes water parks, mausoleums and shopping malls.
Maintaining the happiness and contentment of the citizens is a vital aspect in the game as this will determine whether you are fit to be ruler or not. You will obviously have to handle unforeseen circumstances and emergency situations such as volcanic eruptions and droughts, just so you don’t think of the title as less-than-challenging.
Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox 360, OS X
2. Majesty 2:
The next one our list of creation simulators is Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim. Here, you will be playing the part of a ruler with a vision to build a truly majestic kingdom full of loyal subjects. This pick allows you to select from a vast array of available heroes, all of which have different personalities and attitudes.
You can use their skills to protect your kingdom and structures from hostile creatures as well as other monsters that may emerge from the wilderness. There are a total of 16 different levels where the decision-making and people management skills that you possess will be tested to see if you are worthy of being a leader.
Platforms: Windows PC, OS X
3. Age of Empires 3:
This third installment of the legendary Age of Empires series by Ensemble Studios is one of our top recommendations for you. You have the ability to play as diverse nations and get immersed in the rich history, customs and culture of each, in this offering.
And as you progress, you can witness firsthand as your small cities get bigger as time goes by. You can lead your nations in conquests to acquire wealth and land then subsequently bring them into prosperity. You will even have many historic personalities to help you in building of your chosen empire/s.
Platforms: Windows PC, OS X, Windows Mobile, N-Gage
4. Nemesis of the Roman Empire:
This one titled Nemesis of the Roman Empire will allow you to play as the leader and commander of the Roman Empire during the war aimed at taking over the Carthaginians in the famous Punic Wars. The campaigns in the single player mode will bring you through each phase of the invasion of the Romans on the Carthage civilization and their subsequent rise to power.
As you play, you will get to see the growth of the empire from a seemingly tiny settlement to a truly glorious and intimidating race full of brave warriors and massive wealth. And as the name suggests, you will also be introduced to their enemies, the nations of the Carthage, Gauls and Iberians.
Platforms: Windows PC
5. Grand Ages: Rome
Grand Ages is another interesting title which we can add to this list of Stronghold alternatives for you to check out. Here, you will once again assume the role of an ambitious Roman leader and contribute your skills of resource management and strategy formation in the building up of the nation. You can use the resources you gather to make different types of military units to explore the land and to march to war against any of your sworn enemies.
You will even get to work with some of the most renowned historical figures of that era namely, Mark Antony, Pompey and Julius Caeser amongst others. And whenever a battle ensues between your forces and that of your enemies, you can still be in charge and command your army in the midst of the chaos and watch as they slaughter all who dare challenge you.
Platforms: Windows Cloud (OnLive)
6. Zeus: Master of Olympus
Zeus: Master of the Olympus is a neat little city-building game which has a mythological theme. In this pick, along with the construction of various buildings for trade and housing of you citizens, you can also erect sanctuaries dedicated to various gods of Greek mythology such as Zeus, Poseidon, Ares and Athena.
These gods and their powers have the ability to drastically alter your gameplay as finding favor with a particular god will give you useful blessings and other advantages from them. At the same time, hostile gods will interfere in your progress by hailing down various curses upon you. Heroes also play their part in this pick and are very useful units during wars.
Platforms: Windows PC
7. Space Colony:
Space Colony is another one of those real-time strategy games similar to Stronghold Crusader, where you will have to manage a group of whacky, but entertaining characters. In this pick, there are various types of buildings which you have to erect and maintain in order to establish a strong base.
The characters you find here are designed to help you meet those pre-determined objectives, but their performance is based on your ability to manage their overall well-being. You will come across many challenges in the form of meeting the lifestyle needs of your characters and fighting off aliens who attack your food supplies.
Platforms: Windows PC, OS X
Conclusion:
Those were 7 games like Stronghold Crusader that come into the category of city building as well as real time strategy. They fall under city building simulations because various structures and facilities you have to develop and maintain in order to run a nation. And the real time strategy element comes into play when you have to deal with outside threats and other natural or economic catastrophes.