Ben Starr and Samantha Béart announcing a brand new entry in the Stronghold franchise assuredly wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card when the year began. No wonder I’m terrible at bingo. Yet here I sit, prayers answered, as Stronghold 4 is not only real, I’ve had the privilege of playing it early. Are the arrows it’s loosing hitting their mark, or does it find itself outmatched by its more experienced contemporaries?
First things first, Stronghold 4 is a return to the fully 3D worlds, last seen in Stronghold: Crusader 2 and Stronghold: Warlords. It’ll be releasing via Early Access (which is important to keep in mind), and will feature a full campaign story that acts as a prequel to the original Stronghold. The demo is more of a proof of gameplay concept, as there’s no featuring of story or dialogue as yet. Instead, it provides a glimpse into both the economy and military focused missions we can look forward to, with a level of each.
Jumping in, the biggest change I picked up on was the emphasis on the new ranking up system. Establishing higher quality living quarters, hosting banquets and other means will raise your honour level, progressing your fledging castle through numerous ranks. Ranking up unlocks access to new buildings, units and options, providing a graded means of expansion through a mission or level. It’s a longer-form version of Age of Empire’s Age Up mechanic, and keeps longer-form missions from getting stale.
To that end, there’s a host of new building options, alongside a tinkering with established staples. Cow farms now produce milk, which then needs to be converted into cheese, for example, rather than simple dairy farms. The new additions add more layers of depth and complexity to the castle sim sandbox, though I did find it quite overwhelming to balance in the military orientated mission. How well it translates will more depend on the objective setups and how much micro-management is involved, but I like how Firefly Studios are aiming to innovate on the formula.
In terms of the moment-to-moment gameplay, Stronghold 4 has a very good foundation, but with some cracks that’ll need repairing. Plotting down buildings is straightforward, as is commanding your units. However, the camera and precision of selection do feel slightly off, which I’m sure will be refined in the lead up to its Early Access release. Placing walls between towers and gatehouses for instance, felt difficult to gauge, especially compared to Definitive Editions of Stronghold and Crusader.
Unit AI was also a mix of sharp and blunt arrows. Enemy forces were sometimes excellent at targeting my crossbowmen and archers on the walls, other times they’d saunter up to my walls, get stage fright and simply stop altogether. Generally though, things worked pretty well, especially for a relatively early build of the game. The military mission had me fending off massive waves of ground troops and siege engines, where considered use of towers and flammable pitch was essential to victory.
I lost on my first attempt, thanks to some awful defensive placement on my part. On my second go, I had a better grasp of the economy composition and laid out my defences more effectively. I love the new ballistas, which absolutely obliterate swathes of soldiers with a satisfying eruption of dirt and bodies. The demo also showcases that Firefly are likely going to be just as committed to a challenging set of missions and setups that’ll have relatively accessible difficulties, but with an exceptionally high skill ceiling.
Most importantly for me, however, is that Stronghold 4 feels like a quintessential Stronghold game. The new townspeople animations fit right in with the original’s. There’s a mix of old and new music, alongside the return of Sir Longarm and your trusty advisor. While distinct in both visual direction and gameplay systems, I never felt detached from being in a Stronghold universe, which is what I was pleased to see.
Without doubt, there are wrinkles that the developers are going to need to gain feedback on and refine, but that’s precisely what Early Access is for. Despite this, I had a wonderful time with the demo. Establishing a mountain fortress complete with dozens of longbowmen, with a force of swordsman to valiantly hold my gatehouse against a tidal wave of The Rat’s forces felt fantastic. Will it have a tough time following on from the Definitive Edition’s? Most likely, but Stronghold 4 seems well placed to take on the banner on the series.
Thankfully, you’ll have the opportunity to test out the latest castle sim on June 23rd when the demo goes live for everyone. I’d highly encourage you to do so. Stronghold is back in earnest, with Ben Starr taking up the mantle to boot. What a time to be a Stronghold fan.
Stronghold 4 is planned to release in 2026. A demo will be available to play on Steam from June 23rd.
Developer: Firefly Studios
Publisher: Firefly Studios
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