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Game
Game2025
Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition
Developer Firefly Studios
Gird your loins and sharpen your steel! Besiege 20 unique enemy lords and battle friends online, in this expanded remaster of the classic 'castle sim'. Relive history with new units, opponents, visuals, audio, campaigns, skirmish trails, co-op and larger maps. From the Steam store page
271 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 6, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
89
LovedLoved
202 positive · 26 negative
95% range 84–92%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 202 | 26 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
43 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
10,955 of 11,847 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 271 · most liked firstOne of the first games I ever played thanks to my old man. Dad would set LAN games because we didn't have broadband or dial up. Alas those days are gone... I shall play in his memory.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game advertises, that you can have an army up to 10,000 people, but in a game with 8 players involved, the game will just tell you, that you reached the maximum army size at around 300 people. Realizing this fact and bringing it to attention, will just get you banned from their community page and pretended, like this issue never happened. Same goes to other things, like Moat diggers randomly stop digging moats near trees or archers keep on shooting in front of a target instead of shooting…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite being a re-release of a 23 years old game as a "graphics upgrade" the devs somehow managed to implement bugs that were not present in the og version. The height system is turned off - a archer on tallest tower that is placed on top of a tallest mountain will have same attack range as a archer that is shooting him on the plains. - its crazy and sad that the 23 y old version of the game is way more polished than this which basically took the old game and upscaled it... There are couple…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What appeared to be a labor of love at first, slowly but surely turned out to be a nostalgia cash grab. While I love the game, I simply can't recommend it due to the way Firefly treats their playerbase. Why? Because instead of addressing game breaking issues, they'll rather release more totally unnecessary DLCs - to grab more cash. The issues we as the community report to them won't even get acknowledged. I know, because I reached out to them myself over every existing way possible, from their…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ever play chess with an old guy, who looks the part -- weathered and wrinkled? But despite appearances, you find that he's tough as nails and you can't just walk over him? So you practice and study. And do it again. And again. And then, one day, you give him a good game, and enjoy the whole thing, and feel some pride, even though you still lose? Yeah, that's what it felt for me to start playing this game. Its appearance is pleasant, but shows a bit of age. But that doesn't mean it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Deust Vult/Inshallah so happy that this game got a modern re-release; kept me sane during my deployments in GWOT.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played Stronghold Crusader as a kid, and I played the HD version before the re-release. Now I've played almost 300 hours of the DE version. I think all this gives me the right not only to write a comment but also to make a few suggestions for the developers. I don't think I need to prove that the game is wonderful. It's arguably the best game in the series, although, for example, the regular Stronghold DE has more beautiful landscapes. Broadleaf forests, green mountain slopes... very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Awesome game but multiplayer still is unplayable... Instead of releasing new DLCs please fix multiplayer problems!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After more than 170 hours in the game, I can confidently say that Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition still captures the classic feel of the original while adding some modern improvements. Skirmish is still the heart of the game. At the moment, the game has one DLC, and a big update with another major DLC is on the way. More missions and mechanics are always welcome for a game with this much replay value. AI lords & personality: Each AI lord has their own style and behavior. After a few…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Huh what can I say, After 1000+ hours on regular old game this feels like a new start with old style. Mainly bought it for MP, works soo good! New troops are cool. Keep on crusading fellas, Djoksa out!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is basically the Stronghold everyone wanted - old graphics, with active patches and making the game constantly better and more content. A must have for every old and new stronghold fan.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's good, but honestly, not nearly as good as some of the other reviews make it out to be. A lot of the praise feels pretty biased. I also have a lot of nostalgia for this game, but I have to ask: what has actually been improved here besides the upscaled sprites? At its core, this is basically Stronghold Crusader with upscaled sprites, which is pretty much what you'd expect from a remaster. And to be fair, the new sprites do look nice. But besides that, it doesn't really feel like much else…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very good, legendary game, it allows build unique, nice castle + nice graphic, more content and abilities than regular stronghold crusader. I highly recommend to play it, fun is guaranted. I liked everything in this game except troops limit.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even though Stronghold is an absolute classic, I only started playing it recently. I grew up playing Age of Empires II, which I loved so much that I never felt the need to try any other strategy game. However, after a lot of convincing from my boyfriend, I finally gave Stronghold a chance, and the game completely hooked me. What I enjoy the most is building my own castle, I love that part to the fullest. I especially enjoy playing the role of a cruel ruler, placing stakes, gallows, and things…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL;DR Game incomplete. Critical Bugs won't get fixed (announced on their discord) - but money grab DLC's are still being released with mediocre lords (which don't 100% work because of some important bugs). Game is basically the upgraded version of the OG SC. Some(!) QoL improvements, bigger maps, more units and buildings, more features like sands of time, Custom CPU Lord creator, workshop. And for 20€ thats a pretty good deal. !HOWEVER! Many bugs from the original version are still in the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sadly I have to give the game a thumbs down at the moment. In the old crusader game, when there was a hole in the enemy castle AI units would beeline to the enemy keep, because that was the whole objective, kill the lord... Now 90% of the melee troops run around and either attack stone and iron mines or just wander around like children looking for their parents. Siege engines sometimes simply dont get built. AI still deletes houses for no reason. Sometimes AI simply refuses to build siege units…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Remove the Ad Intro and add it at the titlehome instead. Some players already have long loadingtimes and this just makes it worse
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🎬 NEW VIDEO 🎬 Join us for a brand new gameplay video about the 8 new Bedouin units who’ll be ready for battle in Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition when the game releases on July 15th. The demo is also available to play on Steam now! bit.ly/3GphHXz
unlabelledView post →Truly a beautifully done remaster for the legendary Stronghold Crusader with a host of new features, content and quality of life improvements. I'm surprised much of it wasn't saved for a new game in the series as the new visuals combined with the new camera controls alone would have been enough for a re-release. There's lots of fun to be had, be it replaying the old trails and skirmish or raising hell in the new Sands of Time trails. I also have to note the wonderful support from the developers…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, BUT: FIREFLY, just get your s**t together please. Stop RAGEBAITING us with the damn coop trails and release the coop trail editor already. Every patch i can play roughly 2 more hours with my friend, only to sit on dry land again. I say, FREE THE COOP-EDITOR!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is, overall, a very solid and enjoyable strategy game. It successfully captures the classic feel that fans of the series love, while offering an engaging experience for both new and returning players. The core gameplay remains highly satisfying, with its mix of base-building, resource management, and tactical combat. However, there is a significant issue that needs attention from the developers: the multiplayer mode. Currently, the game can crash…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have been playing this since child. and i will never stop. keep theupdates comming. 2D is the best!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice recreation of the original game down to it wishing you a Merry Christmas. 1096/1096 would buy again
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bigger maps is all I needed. Much better and stronger AI is all I still want. Overall pretty great Definitive Edition. Glad you guys still support the game. DIE EISENMINE MUSS AUF EISENERZ PLATZIERT WERDEN!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So yeah, I love Stronghold Crusader, i players multiple thousands of hours on it, it saw me grow and i cherish my fond memories of it despite its flaws and bugs. But it was at a time where games shipped and there was few or no way to actually fix them, so I could excuse that. I genuinely hoped that the DEFINITIVE edition would focus on fixing old issues and polishing a near perfect gem. Alas. Not only DE shipped with exactly the SAME issues the OG had, but it even added numerous bugs…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I started playing this game when I was in school ... and I am playing it again when I have become a doctor. Sooo many good memories. Thanks to everyone who brought this back and made it even better with all the upgrades. I would recommend it 10/10!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wow, I never thought that my favorite game from childhood would receive a remake and never thought that it could be better than original. Well done, Firefly
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good fixes. No more selecting engineers every time to build a new unit on the ground. One of my all time favorite games for decades!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"Oh! Please, Your Highness! Not the rack again..." The nostalgia hit me almost instantly. Building your first castle, carefully managing your food supply, launching diseased cows over enemy walls, and then sending in a handful of Assassins to finish the job... somehow, it's every bit as fun as I remember. The best part? It still feels like Stronghold Crusader. FireFly didn't try to reinvent the game. Instead, they took everything that made the original special and polished it. The classic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best Stronghold game & one of my forever favorite RTS games just got even better. It's a remaster done perfectly: a huge amount of content - both old & new, co-op missions, new units & new lords, all at an absolute bargain price. Multiplayer had issues at the time of release, but it's solved now. I played the original Stronghold Crusader for years in the early 2000s & will be doing the same again after almost 23 years! Oh, what fun!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's beyond broken and firefly just do not give a ♥♥♥♥ to address any of critical bugs happening since this re-re-release. Shipping 5€ dlcs that are completely irrelevant in the shadow of workshop is the strategy.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Although that annoying WOOD NEEDED voice line is there 🤣, this game is one of the best medieval strategy game ever.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am a fan of this game since i have my memory and I really appreciate that Firefly is back working on their best horse. With the new game and DLCs i was hoping for Innovation... This game is very old and they really didnt change a lot. The new Units are fine and important additions to provide but are often just copy pasta. This game has so much unused potential, its insane! A few design suggestions: - The assasins should be able to climb certain heights with their grappel. Making them unique…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best version of Stronhold Crusader so far, ton of content added for solo player as well as multiplayer and coop. The historical campaigns are a nice starter and decently challenging as well after getting back into Stronghold Crusader after years of not playing it. Especially the many new units and some changes in game play are slowly introduced in the campaign (helpful even if you are a veteran of the original Stronghold)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →✨A massive thank you to everyone who has watched our trailer, wishlisted our game and played our Demo. Only 2 weeks after announcement, and we're so hyped to have over 100k wishlists & 122k of you playing the demo. Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition bit.ly/42jRqTs
unlabelledView post →The game has gameplay breaking bugs which will not be addressed by devs as they already announced that they will seize the support once the final DLC drops and will "only fix the critical ones".
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game of my childhood. I have been playing this game since I was 10 years old, and even today it still brings me a lot of joy. Thanks to the developers’ loving work, they have breathed new life into it and, with many new features, made the game relevant again after all these years.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's fire, better than the original, still fun, has multiplayer, incoming DLC and Updates. If you ever played stronghold at any point try it, and if not, try it anyways.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Qtp with a video game that transports you back to your childhood Stronghold Crusader. Watching my dad play this or his other strategy war games (but this one was my fave) while he gave me fun facts about history and then begging him to let me play too Or begging him to go play so I could watch
unlabelledView post →Overall a great RTS. Though the coop game mode is only skirimish it was a lot of fun due to clever map designs. It was great playing through the coop trails with a friend. There is a lot of very well done unit variety. Economy is mostly trade based. Get an abundance of stone/iron, convert it into gold. Fund an increasing production economy, sell stuff and buy whatever is needed. For harder coop content it is sadly a bit lacking. The coop trails are great, but only a handful of missions are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is lightning in a bottle. Just a dream come true that my favourite childhood game is getting new content
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stronghold Crusader was one of the first RTS games I ever played. The game made me interested in medieval history. It wasn't until years later that I played other games in the series. For me, Stronghold Crusader will be the greatest of all time. The Definitive Edition is the best way to play Stronghold Crusader in 2026 with improved graphics, easy-to-connect multiplayer, and way more content than we had in the 2000s.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Greetings, sire, the desert awaits you! Stronghold Crusader DE is a successful definitive edition of a timeless classic. Multiplayer, co-op missions, new crusader trails, new units, new AI lords, revised graphics, many bug fixes, and quality of life improvements, let this 23-year-old classic shine in new light. The unique mix of real-time strategy and castle building is still simply fun, and the game has lost none of its old charm. I see you in the desert, sire!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mostly i enjoy the community made maps, trails, and custom lord. It was funny and fun especially if you're playing with your friends. The Cons is when you play with high CPU Custom Lord (high amount of troops and castle that could break their AI), it will lag the games for example sieges builds took long enough and the peasant regen are so slow. I hope this bug will be fixed soon, so i could 1v7 all of them with computer advantages :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stronghold is one of those classic strategy games that makes you feel like a medieval lord… until your peasants start complaining about taxes and bread. At first it looks simple: build a castle, grow some food, defend your land. Easy, right? Wrong. Five minutes later you realize your entire economy depends on wheat, your granary is empty, and your peasants are angrily leaving the village like it’s a medieval protest movement. What makes Stronghold great is the mix of city-building and castle…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game! The gameplay is only slightly changed compared to the original, and many bugs have been fixed, which I really appreciate. The graphical improvements look great as well. Overall, it’s a fantastic game with new lords, units, and missions. I’ve finished all the new campaigns — they could be a bit more challenging, but it’s still great to have new content.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →📣 Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition, coming July 15th Expanding on the original game with 8 new playable units, 4 fresh AI lords to face off against & several additional campaigns, and much more! Wishlist now and play the Demo bit.ly/42jRqTs
unlabelledView post →I really had high hopes that Firefly would fix at least some of the AI-breaking bugs, but with the latest DLC, all my hope has vanished. Here are just a few examples: - The AI does not target the enemy Lord after breaching the castle walls, instead focusing on destroying the economy. - The AI fails to replace fallen castle defenders, recruiting patrol units instead and leaving towers unoccupied as the game progresses. - Backup troops do not retreat after a failed siege, preventing the AI…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played this game ever since the early 2000's when the first version came out. I always dreamed of bigger maps, automatic buying and selling market place etc. This version really is worth it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love Stronghold Crusader DE with new units, but I don't understand why they didn't update the old AI lords... They suck so hard and most games/campaigns aigainst the vanilla AI's are only interesting in the first 10-15 minutes. Pro: - mediocre AI Editor - Koop Multiplayer - better netcode - new units - new AIs - new missions Contra: - weak/boring vanilla AI Lords - boring AI castles - to many unbalanced maps - way to less balanced 600x600 or 800x800 maps - maaaaany bugs are back in the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am creating a Tower Defense +Zombie Survival Shooter + RTS-Lite game inspired by games like Project Zomboid and Stronghold Crusader. Set in a post apocalyptic setting, your goal is build your base at day to defend against the walking dead that will haunt you at night. #gamedev #madewithgodot
unlabelledView post →This game honestly took me straight back to my childhood. It keeps the original feeling intact while still adding some nice modern touches. The new AI Lords didn’t really work for me, but having more variety is still better than nothing. At least it doesn’t feel like you’re facing the exact same enemies every time. The new mission types and DLC content add some good replay value, especially with the extra unit variety. More troop options naturally lead to different strategies, which helps…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Features that make the game infinitely better: an auto buy/sell market and the ability to Shift-click to recruit all troops at once. These two updates alone make it 100% worth it because they eliminate a lot of tedious clicking. The graphics and other improvements are great too. All in all, it's a quality remaster of an old but still great classic.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Retains what made the original game great, while bringing enough new features to keep you engaged. The graphical update likewise, keeps the style what made the original game so iconic, but brings it to the 2020's. The new content is also good, overall can recommend to any returning players, as well as people who want to try themselves in the sands of the Holy Land for the first time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A nostalgic game very true to it's roots, to the detriment of getting into the game at a modern date. Very good vibes and a lot of fun but don't think it's worth getting if you're used to modern strategy looking for something to really get good at
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#RandomGameSaturday Pulled out my old copy of Stronghold Crusader. Absolutely wonderful castle building simulator that is simultaneously a completely unhinged RTS. Absolutely addictive game honestly
unlabelledView post →Stronghold Crusader, but in Definitive Edition. A game of childhood memory. It's exactly as I remember it. Like, seriously, it's the same simple RTS it was 20 years ago. Units are still unbalanced as they were and gameplay improvements is laughable. Wall and moat mazes work like always. Fire is still too powerful. Horse Archers, especially paired with Mantlets, are still the fastest and cheapest option to clear castles. If you knew how to play then, you will know how to play now. Firefly…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember when my cousin maybe 15 years ago introduced my big brother and I to stronghold crusader. Seeing a definitive edition and playing it, brings back many wonderful memories. I really love the game and the new life blown into it with the DE and the DLCs. There's ofc occasional bugs, but they've slowly been removed with updates. I can highly recommend it, if you haven't tried it yourself yet.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really well made remaster - no matter if you enjoyed Stronghold back in the day or if you're totally new to the series: this is the definitive way to experience this magical game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →♥♥♥♥ yeah stronghold with a lot of new and good features, including working multiplayer. this is a must buy for every strategy game fan even if you dont share the nostalgia for the Stronghold series
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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