Forge your path to power in medieval Europe. Choose your profession and master trade, politics, and intrigue to climb the social ladder and found a dynasty. Secure your legacy and dominate history in this immersive economic simulation.

Starting at the head of a fledgling dynasty with only a modest business, your journey begins. As the years pass and your enterprise grows, you need to expand your family’s influence and secure a succession to ensure your legacy endures.

However, business and trade alone won’t give you a voice in the town hall. To truly steer the fortunes of the city and ensure the law always favours your ambitions, you must engage in the intricate political landscape. Use popularity, bribes, or even blackmail to climb the social ladder and secure your place in the highest offices.

In The Guild – Europa 1410, you navigate a complex web of relationships, where every decision can impact your dynasty’s future. Master the art of trade and production to build your wealth and use diplomacy and cunning to outmanoeuvre rivals. Build your legacy and make choices that will ripple through future generations. Whether through strategic alliances or open rivalry and clever schemes, the path to dominance is yours to choose.

Hear ye, hear ye! When a famed lineage of games proclaims a return to its roots, the hearts of loyal followers oft stir with joy and expectation. So it is with The Guild - Europa 1410. Since its first heralding, word has spread across the lands - from distant realms on Discord to the bustling markets of social media - as players share their visions of what the perfect new chapter in The Guild saga might be.

Now, the time hath come for the craftsmen of Ashborne Games to lift the veil and speak of their grand design - to forge an immersive medieval life-simulation wherein players may rise from humble beginnings to become mighty merchants, artisans, or even noble tycoons of their own making.

In their very first Developer Diary, the guildmasters of Ashborne share their vision for The Guild – Europa 1410, revealing the inspirations that guide their hand. And verily, their muse is not only the venerable The Guild: Europa 1400 from the year 2002, but also the spirit of the age itself - the bustling cities, the rivalries, the ambitions, and the dreams of a world on the cusp of the Renaissance.

The Guild's Legacy: What Inspired Us from Previous Titles?

Welcome to the first dev diary of The Guild - Europa 1410! We are excited to share more details on the development of our game with you, our passionate community, through these developer diaries, by covering various topics that we believe you will find interesting.

The Guild - Europa 1410’s development is underway, and it is no secret that we are taking it back to the roots of the franchise. Since our game will be reminiscent of the original Europa 1400: The Guild, we’d like to share what features inspired us in the first game of the franchise, and which ones we are adding our own spin to.

Europa 1400: The Guild was released in 2002, allowing players to build up their economic empire in an immersive medieval world. In a unique mix of life simulation and economic strategy, The Guild manages to fill a specific niche, garnering a loving and loyal player base to this day. Though it was released more than 20 years ago, this wonderful community and the appreciation for Europa 1400: The Guild are still going strong - which is why, when we embarked on the adventure of writing the next chapter of The Guild, we first took a step back and looked at what made the original The Guild so great. We intend to build upon these strengths by using modern tools and technology while preserving the unique feeling of immersion that The Guild always conveyed.

When it comes to the first game’s features, which we are bringing forward to The Guild - Europa 1410, a notable mention is the way characters are controlled in the game. You, as the player, will get to view the world from your perspective, not by controlling a character and moving it around physically, but rather by controlling the camera. Though this is different from later games in The Guild franchise, we want to bring back the immersive experience of Europa 1400: The Guild and let you feel the heat of managing your businesses and workers!

The Guild - Europa 1410 will allow you to step into a medieval world, vibrant with life and opportunities. Various events will inform you of the things that are happening around you, many of which tell fantastic stories or interesting facts about your opponents. In Europa 1400: The Guild, you were sometimes notified of events, and you could acknowledge them and go about your day. We intend to enhance this experience by introducing more events, inspired not only by history but also by the evolution of the game world itself. Furthermore, you will be able to interact with these events as you like - with consequences, of course.

What about other significant events that happen in your medieval city, such as elections, court sessions or duels? The Guild was always filled with these events, and it was often hard to fit them all into the game’s world, which is why previous games used cutscenes to show the most important events to you, the player.

Our goal for The Guild - Europa 1410 is to create an immersive and believable world that represents what is going on in your game, while at the same time, allowing you to focus on managing your business, dynasty, and political machinations at your own pace. You will see fights on the streets, thieves scouting out buildings, crowds gathering around the bard, and many more events - but we will make sure that the amount of these events doesn’t feel overwhelming. This means that not all events will have a visual representation in the scene, which allows the game to create a plausible and believable backdrop for your gameplay experience. Of course, important events like office sessions are always visualized, and you can enter the Town Hall to watch them, if you like.

Management of carts will get an overhaul, as well as how combat works. Furthermore, we are putting our own spin on the concept of dynasties and families, adding more depth and character to your AI opponents and creating more challenges for you to overcome. We will talk about these and other features in much more detail in our upcoming dev diaries, so stay tuned!

But what about the later games in The Guild series? Will we ignore them and only base The Guild - Europa 1410 on the very first game of the series? Of course not! While Europa 1400: The Guild captured the spirit of medieval life nicely - especially considering the technical limitations of the time - its successors expanded a lot on city life, visual fidelity, and filling the game with hustling and bustling energy.

While you will not be able to directly send your character around, your actions will have a visible influence on the city and its citizens. Together with your opponents as well as your allies, you will have the opportunity to shape your city’s development and rewrite its history with greatly enhanced graphics and, for the first time in any The Guild game, expanding city walls and emerging new city districts.

That’s it for today’s dev diary! Next time, we’ll talk about your first business and your first steps into politics. What are you most curious about - how to build your business, manage your employees, or secure your influence in the Town Hall?

As in every The Guild game, craft and trade is one of the core pillars of The Guild – Europa 1410. Choose from a wide variety of professions, like the blacksmith, alchemist or the tailor, and expand your business until you are the most influential magnate in the city.

Each profession offers an immersive and unique gameplay experience, putting you in charge of your business’ growth and success.

For those who prefer alternative ways to make money, The Guild – Europa 1410 offers a different, more thrilling path. Engage in cart robberies, scout buildings for valuable loot, send your thieves to pickpocket unsuspecting citizens, and even kidnap people for ransom. The life of those who oppose the law is filled with danger but full of excitement and potential for great rewards.

Alternatively, you can choose to uphold the law and patrol the streets with your guardsmen. Protect the city from criminals, maintain order, and earn the respect of all law-abiding citizens. Whether you choose a life of crime or one of virtue will have a significant impact on your fellow citizens.

In The Guild – Europa 1410, politics is key. Securing one of the prestigious and powerful offices yourself can significantly advance your ambitions while impeding your rivals. And when necessary, a bit of blackmail can be just the tool to secure the support you need from other office holders. But beware – every criminal action you take could leave behind evidence, potentially to be used against you in court.

Experience a new level of immersion with state-of-the-art graphics that bring the world of The Guild to life like never before. From bustling marketplaces and busy workshops to the intricate architecture of the town hall, every detail is crafted to support the simulation of a realistic, historic city. Watch as new districts take shape and the landscape transforms around you, reflecting your own actions and the growth and development of the city.

Additionally, The Guild – Europa 1410 introduces a host of innovative new features to the series to further enrich your gameplay experience, while staying true to the essence and core of The Guild series, offering engaging gameplay for both new players and longtime fans.

Challenge others and share your medieval adventures in exciting multiplayer sessions with up to 12 players. Compete, collaborate and backstab your way to the top, harass your friends with cart ambushes, drag them to court, break into their houses or challenge them to duels – the multiplayer mode offers countless opportunities to make sure every game is unique and memorable.

The Guild – Europa 1410 is in development for PC (Steam).