New fantasy RTS Lessaria is a "spiritual successor" to a true genre classic, but it's not just nostalgia bait

Sometimes, the old ways are the best. The first Alien movie. An aged whiskey. That friend who you don't see so often any more, but catching up feels like you've never been apart. The same is true for games. We gravitate to those that comfort us, those we remember so fondly from our childhoods. Why else would I be playing through a decades-old Pokemon game in my spare time? Developers, too, reminisce. Rockbee Team, the devs behind Lessaria, have borrowed liberally from Majesty, a classic of the fantasy genre. But can nostalgia alone elevate it to mythical status, alongside those in our list of the best RTS games?

Lessaria is inspired by Majesty, something reflected if you give both games their full titles. Majesty is suffixed as The Fantasy Kingdom Sim, while Lessaria has opted to drop the 'the' in favor of being a little more humble while paying homage to its ideator. But the similarities go further than just name and genre.

Lessaria has borrowed a lot from Majesty, not least the voice actor of your advisor, George Ledoux, who will tug at some nostalgic heartstrings for sure. The developers themselves admit that this is a "spiritual successor" to Majesty, and that's never more clear than in the RTS mechanics. While both games focus on good city building and real-time combat, Lessaria has also nabbed Majesty's unique twist on the genre: you don't control your heroes.

No, instead of doing your bidding, these are true fantasy heroes, beholden to their own whims and egos rather than the laws of a king. Read any fantasy novel and you'll notice the same rebellious streak in the protagonist, for better or for worse. This gives Majesty (and, by extension, Lessaria) a spontaneity that other games in the genre lack, an element of RNG that feels ludonarratively resonant.

With such an unpredictable army, your city defenses best be shipshape if you want to keep the invading hordes at bay. Lessaria's devs promise a evolution of the Majesty style, rather than a copy, and thus far, players seem to be enjoying it.

80% of Lessaria's Steam reviews are good, landing it a 'very positive' rating on the platform. The only complaints that pop up often are the lack of a sandbox mode and the fact it's a little rough around the edges. If you're a Majesty fan, this seems like a no-brainer to check out.

Lessaria Fantasy Kingdom Sim is available on Steam now for $19.99 / £16.79. You can buy it here.

If you'd like to continue down memory lane, our list of the best old games may have something for you. If you're after something similar to Lessaria, our picks of the best city building games are perfect.

What are your most nostalgic games? Let us know in our community Discord server, where staff and readers discuss the latest gaming news, reminisce about old classics, and crumble into dust when we find out some members are younger than our favorite games.