Stronghold Crusader (2002)

Stronghold Crusader took the castle strategy Firefly from the chilly England to the Middle East during the Crusades — and with the change of scenery, it broke the entire economy of its predecessor. Wheat does not grow in the desert: land for farms has to be sought in oases, while everything else is bought in the market with oil and resources, turning trade from an optional feature into a survival necessity. Mercenaries appeared, hired instantly and without barracks — Arab archers, assassins, fire throwers — and they are opposed to the slow European troops that need to be armed in workshops. But what truly made the game immortal were the AI lords with personalities: Saladin, Richard, Rat, Snake, Pig, and Wolf, each with their own building style and favorite mischief. It is these skirmishes against several computer opponents that people have replayed for over twenty years, and Crusader itself has become a classic of online gatherings.

Watch the trailer and gameplay on YouTube

Game card in the MegaInet.art catalog — reference information. Files are not distributed. Actual data: Wikidata (CC0).