Stronghold 2001

Released: October 19, 2001
Anniversary: Turned 25 on October 19
Genres: Real Time Strategy (RTS) · Simulator · Strategy
Platforms: PC · Mac
Developer: Firefly Studios
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
More info: Wikipedia IGDB

Where to buy

On sale: $1.79 $5.99 -70% as Stronghold HD on GOG The lowest price we've seen on GOG since September 2026 More deals on GOG, and in Strategy
Digital: GOG Fanatical GMG Steam
In a collection: The Stronghold Collection

Steam
Physical: Search on Amazon

Affiliate links: GOG, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming, ININ Games and Amazon

Is it still worth playing?

Firefly Studios' 2001 real time strategy game for Windows, in which the king is captured while invading a barbarian kingdom and four lords seize his realm. You play a young commander, aided by two loyal lords, who has to retake the kingdom county by county and defeat each of the four usurpers. Holding what you build is the hard part. Combat uses a soft counter system, injured units never heal, and the game is lost if your lord dies. Fire spreads quickly too, so wells are part of the defence. Beyond the military campaign there is an economic one, with objectives set against obstacles such as bandits and fire, plus siege scenarios based on historical castles and a free build mode. A castle that has to hold off sieges and fire alike is still as much of a challenge as the fighting today, and each one is a design problem to solve.