After three years in early access, Farthest Frontier is the city builder that's tearing me away from Manor Lords

Farthest Frontier 1.0 is finally upon us, and I'm ready to plunge myself into its stunning world. Developer Crate Entertainment has already proved itself as an indie underdog with some serious bite; its dark-fantasy ARPG Grim Dawn remains a must-play for fans of that genre. Now, after three years in early access, Farthest Frontier is finally fully formed, and it's bringing a similar level of polish and depth to challenge the best city-building games on PC. Feeling like a spiritual successor to Banished and with a farming system that'd make Stardew Valley jealous, it's a serious contender among the best medieval games too, and now's an ideal time to start.

If you like your city builders historical and grounded, Manor Lords has been the game to beat of late. But while Slavic Magic is still working through that early-access journey, the full release of Farthest Frontier nudges it ahead as the one I'm most likely to be sinking time into for the coming months. The name is a nod to your settlement's status as a newly forged bastion at the edge of the known world. That means you're just in touch with society, but on the very border of an unfamiliar and untamed wilderness full of opportunity and danger.

Expect all the usual foraging, farming, fishing, hunting, and so on, but with an impressive level of detail in its simulation. Each crop has unique growing requirements and you'll need to employ careful rotations to maintain fertile soil, adjust to seasonal weather conditions, and ensure your plants don't fall victim to disease. Successfully navigate this balance and your villagers will find their harvests flourishing; fail and you'll struggle to get by as the cold creeps in.

Speaking of your townsfolk, they're similarly simulated down to the most meticulous details. Each one lives out their lives and handles their jobs day-to-day, whether that be tilling the fields or transporting goods from remote facilities into town factories to process and craft them. Infrastructure is naturally a big part of making sure your burgeoning settlement can run as smoothly as possible; roads increase throughput, transport wagons speed up supply lines, and storage options let you move greater loads at once.

Maps are randomly generated with every new game, and there are a range of biomes and themes available that will alter the challenge on offer. You'll need to adapt to what the world presents, and take advantage of trade to acquire any resources you might be lacking. Will you clear out land for giant crop fields, putting up fences to keep wildlife out, or maintain the natural balance to take advantage of more fragile natural resources such as wild medicinal plants?

It wouldn't be a good medieval simulation game without a little dysentery, of course. Diseases are rife, meaning you'll have to work to keep your water clean and even consider the diets your locals are getting. If they aren't getting their greens, you could find yourself with outbreaks of scurvy. Should poverty and uncleanliness lead to workers shuffling around rat-infested cellars in old shoes, you might find them suffering everything from frostbite to the dreaded bubonic plague.

Farthest Frontier is also tremendously customizable to suit your tastes. Crate Games offers a range of difficulty settings from 'Idyllic' to 'Brutal,' with individual options that let you tweak or turn off particular features if they bug you. Determine how punishing bandits and raiders are, down from small squads of troublemakers to vast invading hordes, or simply switch them off altogether with pacifist mode so that you can focus on all the other natural dangers the era throws your way.

Farthest Frontier 1.0 is out now on Steam, priced at $34.99 / £29.50. Grab it here and find your new home out on the fringes of society.

We've picked out the best management games on PC right now if you can't get enough of taking charge. You'll also want to check in on the best gaming monitors in 2025 so you can enjoy Farthest Frontier's art to its fullest.

What role would you take on in a remote medieval town? Join the PCGamesN Discord and claim your spot; as someone who already grows vegetables in their garden in real life, I feel like my path's already laid out before me.