Co-op lifestyle sim Medieval Dynasty ramps up immersion with a free update and new DLC for some high-class fashion

When it comes to living out a life in the middle ages, Medieval Dynasty is one of those games that has it all. There's a little survival, lots of gathering, crafting, and building, all the way up to the ability to forge your own town and co-ordinate with the residents to grow it into a bustling hub of activity. Part simulation, part role-playing, part action, it's everything you could want from a medieval game, and that's won it an 89%-positive lifetime rating from player Steam reviews. Now, the free Labor of Love update has brought even more immersion into the world, and a new Exquisite Pack DLC lets you get a little fancy as well.

The new Medieval Dynasty update introduces a new quest chain to pursue, and also makes several key changes to enhance the realism of pregnancies. There are new visuals, animations, and conversations for pregnant women, and they'll stop working from their second term. However, their partners will gain "a significant productivity boost" both during the pregnancy and while the mother is taking care of the infant. New sets of working clothes have also been introduced that offer production speed increases to their respective jobs.

The Exquisite Pack DLC is a bonus bundle designed "for players seeking a more elegant appearance for their character and settlement." There are a pair of outfits, one a stunning dress complete with jewelry, the other an intricately designed ensemble with smart shirt and trousers (also with its own set of accessories to actuate your status).

Of course, there's no point dressing for the part without fitting weaponry to match, so the Exquisite Sword is included to make sure you look good on ceremony or in battle as well. Alongside this, there are four new hairstyles and a fresh mustache design. Rounding out the pack are 13 additional emblem patterns that can be used across your settlement.

As part of the update, developer Render Cube has rolled out a range of fixes and other improvements. The arrow-duplicating glitch is gone (sorry, you'll have to go back to getting them legitimately). A freeze caused by dismounting has been resolved, and you should no longer encounter NPCs that are unexpectedly missing body parts. That last one might be a little disappointing if you enjoyed the novelty of it, but I expect they're thankful.

The Medieval Dynasty Labor of Love update is live now. There's a 50% sale on the base game ($17.49 / £13.49), while the new Exquisite Pack DLC is 20% off ($3.99 / £3.19). Both deals end Friday December 19. You'll find them here, if you're ready to start your new life in the middle ages.