It all began with Ardania...

Majesty, then Majesty: Northern Expansion and then Majesty Gold - I bought all of them new in early 2000 and onwards as each became available. I played with my nephew, Zack. He was a little boy then. Majesty was a game I didn't have to explain or apologize for. It was kid friendly without being one of those games Zack came to call "educational" as a code for Mother approved.

Now Majesty 2 is out. Has been out a few years actually. I'd love to see what they have done as an encore to a game I already rate as one of the best for fun and ease of play. A simple game which does not need an entire day to play a round or complete a few missions. Most games the downfall is length and finding a good place to stop. Majesty comes in a series of missions with definite beginnings and endings. Connected to a central story but not turn based where a game can be unending.

Majesty is the fantasy simulation game where you build your own kingdom. The problem is... your citizens don't just co-operate the way they do in other strategy, simulation and city building games. In Majesty they can decide not to help you at all.

The little characters in Majesty won't work unless you pay them

You may find Majesty is a bit more real than you like. The game play is pretty simple. You won't need to struggle to understand how the game works or what you need to do.

But, monsters will attack. They come from outside your kingdom, wandering in. However, they also come from right under your nose, the sewers inside your kingdom. At any time a big rat will step out right into your village and start destroying something. You aren't usually as prepared as you thought you were. Plus, your people may not be helping you when you need them.

In that way, the game of Majesty is not the light weight it seems.