Guild (video game series)
The Guild is a series of historical simulation video games developed primarily by GolemLabs and published by THQ Nordic (formerly JoWooD Entertainment). The series blends elements of role-playing, economic simulation, and strategy, tasking players with building a dynasty through generations in a simulated medieval or renaissance Europe.
Key features across the Guild series include:
- Dynasty Management: Players create a character and family, managing their skills, relationships, and fortunes across several generations.
- Economic Simulation: The core gameplay involves establishing and operating businesses to generate income. Players can choose from various professions, such as crafting, trade, and piracy.
- Political Intrigue: Players can engage in political activities, vying for positions of power within the city or kingdom. This can involve diplomacy, bribery, and even assassination.
- Social Interaction: Characters interact with other families and individuals, forming relationships (both positive and negative) that impact their standing and influence. Marriage is a crucial element for extending the dynasty and securing alliances.
- Crime and Law: Players can engage in illegal activities, but face the risk of being caught and punished by the law. Maintaining a good reputation is important for social and political success.
- Time Progression: The game world operates on a real-time or accelerated time scale, with characters aging, dying, and being replaced by their offspring. This generational gameplay is a defining characteristic of the series.
The major installments in the Guild series include:
- Europa 1400: The Guild (also known as The Guild Gold Edition)
- The Guild 2
- The Guild 3
While generally focused on the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, each game in the series features slightly different mechanics, professions, and historical settings, while retaining the core gameplay loop of dynasty management, economic simulation, and political maneuvering. Reception to the series has been mixed, with praise directed towards the depth of its simulation and complexity of its gameplay, but criticism aimed at its technical issues and user interface.