Stronghold HD

I got this running in windowed mode on Linux with a few tweaks in DxWND: - Main > Position, choose aspect ratio, I chose 1280x720, and check "Keep aspect ratio" - Video > Window Style, select "thin frame", this adds a topbar to the window so you can click and drag it, and checking "Lock win style" prevents the topbar from being counted towards window's dimensions. - Video > Screen resolution, select HD (16:9) - DirectX > Renderer, select "locked surface", this corrects an issue where Stronghold believes the window boundaries are still 4:3 and causes you to edge scroll 1/3rd of the way from the right side of the screen.

Stronghold HD is a fantastic game that offers a perfect blend of strategy and relaxation. The gameplay is incredibly chill, allowing you to build, manage, and defend your kingdom at your own pace. There’s no rush, so you can enjoy each decision without pressure, making it ideal for those who prefer a laid-back gaming experience. The graphics are beautifully detailed for a game of its era, with lush landscapes and charming animations that bring your medieval kingdom to life. The art style complements the relaxing atmosphere, adding to the enjoyment of watching your empire grow and flourish. But what truly makes Stronghold HD so addictive is the gameplay. The balance of resource management, city-building, and defense creates a rewarding cycle that keeps you coming back for more. Every choice matters, and as you progress, you'll find yourself experimenting with new strategies and improving your kingdom with each playthrough. Whether you're a fan of strategy games or someone looking for a relaxing, yet engaging experience, Stronghold HD is definitely worth your time. It’s a game you can lose yourself in for hours, all while enjoying the satisfaction of building your very own medieval empire!

It's a great game. I'm having a lot of fun playing the game.

This game, and now with the HD remakes, is a classic in the castle building sim world. If you are on the fence about it, get off that fence and buy this game. It is dirt cheap for the amount of fun that you'll experience from it. If you aren't sure whether you would like it or not, just get it. If you love it, get Crusader HD as well. The campaign is solid, provides a variety of mission types and is overall very well put together. To the GOG team: Thank you. I keep making the mistake of buying games on Steam without first checking GOG to see if they're available. This game doesn't work through Steam on Windows 8/8.1. Hardly even launches without crashing. Bought it through you guys (23% off in the bundle with 2 other games I wanted, Crusader and Space Colony) and it works perfectly! You guys are the best, keep up the awesome work.

Might be misleading to call this a castle simulator. It's really more of a base-building RTS game--with lots of emphasis on building and protecting the base. Absolutely wonderful game in any case! There's much more of a politico-economic aspect than in other RTS games I've played: various resources to manage, and you have to watch your subjects' morale too (while also taxing them to get the gold you need). It works because you're at a walled-in base (after you build the walls), not scouting and conducting seek-and-destroy missions against a hidden enemy. However, the game does include many features, so you can assault enemy castles as well if you like. The excellent tutorial eases you into the game, and the combat campaign progresses--at first--in baby steps, giving you time to learn and try new things out. There's also an economic campaign, which is surprisingly interesting, though I haven't gotten far in it yet. Besides the two campaigns, there are stand-alone scenarios, which you can edit or customize as you like. There are also historical scenarios--various actual castles you can try defending or assaulting. The audio-visual effects are great, in my opinion. One small downside is that there's nothing like a smooth-scrolling camera; camera angle shifts 90 degrees at a time. But actually you don't even need to use that, as you can just press the space bar to make everything above ground level disappear. That's a very handy feature; it allows you to do most everything from just one angle. The game can be very challenging, if that's what you're looking for. Even on Introductory level, it has been too hard for me at times, and I've had to replay a few campaign missions. I got through them, though; and I've gone back to replay them on the Normal difficulty setting and won there too. Some of the early missions are child's play, but they get tough soon enough. Throughout, there's a bit of humor mixed in. It's not obtrusive, but it's there, and you'll find yourself smiling at the remarks of your scribe, your advisers, and enemy leaders. Though this is a serious enough game, it doesn't take itself too seriously. For me, that helps take the edge off and adds to the enjoyment. Top-notch game. Highly recommended.