Deal | New all-time low: Legendary strategy game now just around $4.30 on Steam

When Firefly released Stronghold in October 2001, the developers struck a chord with many strategy fans. Instead of simply sending armies across the battlefield, players could build their own medieval castles, establish a functioning economy and defend against enemy sieges. The combination of castle building, economic simulation and real-time strategy became a classic and laid the foundation for an entire series. More than 22 years later, the original returned in modernized form with Stronghold: Definitive Edition in November 2023 – and it's now available on Steam with a 71% discount, dropping from $14.99 to $4.34. That's only one percentage point more than the previous discount, but according to SteamDB, it's still a new all-time low.

What makes Stronghold special is its combination of relaxed castle building, economic simulation and intense siege battles. While farmers work the fields, lumberjacks cut down trees and bakers keep the storerooms stocked, the next wave of attackers may already be gathering outside the gates. That's when it's time to man the walls, prepare the boiling pitch and hope the defenses hold. Those who prefer going on the offensive can tear down enemy fortresses with knights, archers, battering rams and siege towers.

The game is set in war-torn medieval England, where the king has been betrayed and four ruthless lords – the Rat, the Snake, the Pig and the Wolf – are trying to divide the kingdom among themselves. Across several campaigns, players must gradually drive these villains out of their castles and reunite the kingdom. Alongside the original campaigns, the Definitive Edition includes 14 new story missions, additional siege scenarios, improved graphics, modernized music and multiplayer for up to eight players.

In its review, PC Games (in German) awarded the Definitive Edition 7 out of 10 points. The game is still good, but the remake carries over some of the original's weaknesses – including unconvincing AI that sometimes struggles with pathfinding. While the game features improved textures, some of the movement animations reportedly still look rather stiff. According to PC Games, the new missions also lack narrative depth. Multiplayer is now included, but PC Games reports technical issues such as connection drops and frozen matches. Steam players, however, don't seem particularly bothered by these shortcomings. Of the roughly 10,000 user reviews, 86% are positive. The Definitive Edition is also playable on the Steam Deck.

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