Mandate Order

About Mandate Order

Mandate Order is a strategy simulator set in ancient China’s Warring States era. As a regional warlord, you start with nothing but barren land and a handful of villagers. Your goal is to build fortified cities, manage resources like food and iron, and rally your people’s loyalty to expand into rival territories. Developer Digital Sky released it on December 31, 2026, as a single-player PC title. The game blends base-building with tactical warfare, constructing defensive walls, training armies, and negotiating alliances. It’s a slow-burn game where mismanaging resources or failing to secure supply lines can collapse your entire civilization. Best for players who enjoy methodical planning and long-term strategy.

Gameplay

You begin by placing farms, mines, and housing blocks to generate resources and population. Each building affects your economy, military strength, and people’s morale. You’ll micro-manage trade routes, allocate laborers, and decide whether to invest in armor or siege weapons. Enemy raids force you to balance expansion with defense, walls can be upgraded, but a lack of soldiers means they won’t hold forever. Diplomacy adds another layer: send emissaries to sway smaller states or face coalitions of hostile neighbors. Combat is turn-based and grid-based, requiring you to position troops for terrain advantages. Sessions often stretch over 2-4 hours, with progress measured in months of in-game time. Mistakes are costly; a single failed harvest can starve your populace and trigger revolt.

What Players Think

Mandate Order holds a 4.3/5 on PlayPile, with 78% of players completing over half the game’s main objectives. The average playthrough lasts 22 hours, and 42% of completions are full achievement runs. Community moods lean mixed: 65% label it “addictive” while 35% call it “slow-paced to a fault.” Early reviews praise its depth, with one player noting, “The balance between economic and military management is unmatched.” Critics, however, highlight a steep learning curve, with a 20% drop-off rate in the first 10 hours. The game has 150 achievements, 43 of which require perfect resource management. Despite a $39.99 price tag, 58% of owners report playing it more than 20 hours.

PlayPile's Take

Mandate Order is a niche but rewarding game for strategy purists. Its blend of economic simulation and territorial warfare offers lasting depth, though the learning curve and grind-heavy gameplay may deter casual players. At $40, it’s a mid-tier investment with high replayability due to randomized maps and factions. If you enjoy games like Civilization or Stellaris but prefer a slower, more methodical pace, this is worth the time. Skip it if you crave fast action or instant gratification.

Storyline

Mandate Order is a strategy game set in the Warring States period. Starting from barren lands, build strongholds integrating production, defense and military functions. Manage resources and the people's will, expand your territory, counter threats, and ultimately rise to prominence amidst the chaos.