Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom

Background

Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom recreates the era of the Middle Ages, with all game elements and scenes based on the European, particularly Anglo-Saxon, period around 1200 A.D., though the geography is purely fictitious. The game's single-player campaign consists of 20 scenarios, with lengths ranging from about 5 minutes to over 7 hours depending on difficulty. The tech tree is simple and straightforward, with most new technology unlocked upon completing new buildings; in the campaign, some buildings are restricted until later missions, while the AI always starts with a technological advantage.

The economy is complex, featuring a variety of resources such as wood, stone, sausages, and wine. Many resources must be transported between buildings for refinement and delivery, requiring careful building placement and road connections. Every citizen and soldier must eat, creating a dynamic challenge of managing combat, resource gathering, city building, and food supply. Unlike many RTS games, there is no unit cap; population is limited by map size and food production, and units die if unfed for a sustained time.

An expansion pack was released in 2001, titled Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion. Later in 2002 it was released in additional countries and in 2005 it was finally released in the U.S.