Establishing a foothold in the bleak, post-plague world of Foxy Voxel’s colony-builder Going Medieval is a daunting task. With inspiration drawn from titles like RimWorld, the game layers deep survival mechanics and strategic planning beneath its medieval aesthetic. For new players, the initial hours can be overwhelming, making a structured approach to the early game not just beneficial, but critical for the long-term survival of your settlement.
Foundational Decisions: Scenarios, Biomes, and Settlers
Your journey begins with three pivotal choices that will define your colony’s initial challenges and advantages. The scenario you select sets the narrative and difficulty tone. ‘A New Life’ is the recommended beginner path, offering a balanced start with three settlers in the forgiving season of spring. For those wishing to focus purely on construction and management without the threat of raids, the ‘Peaceful’ mode is available. More experienced players might challenge themselves with the ‘Lone Wolf’ or ‘Pioneer’ scenarios, which introduce harsh conditions and immediate threats, respectively.
Selecting the Right Map for Your Strategy
The biome you choose acts as your permanent playing field, each with distinct resources and environmental challenges. The Valley offers the gentlest introduction, with plentiful vegetation, fertile soil, and mild winters, ideal for learning food production. The Hillside provides naturally defensible terrain at the cost of slightly scarcer resources. For those prioritizing mineral wealth and willing to manage harsh winters, the Mountain biome is rich in limestone, iron, and precious metals. Finally, the Marsh offers abundant aquatic food sources but scarce land animals and mineable materials, demanding a unique approach to survival.
Assembling Your Founding Survivors
Your starting group of three followers is your most valuable asset. A successful early game hinges on covering three core skill sets through careful selection or rerolling. A proficient Builder, with high Construction and Mining, is essential for rapid shelter and infrastructure development. A dedicated Farmer/Cook ensures your colony’s food security from the outset. Finally, a capable Fighter, skilled in Melee or Ranged combat, is crucial for defense and hunting. Pay close attention to individual traits; positive ones like Hard Worker or Iron Gut provide significant boosts, while negative traits such as Pyromaniac can lead to catastrophic failures.
The Critical First In-Game Season
The opening days and weeks establish the rhythm and security of your colony. Progress must be swift but deliberate, as a growing settlement inevitably attracts hostile attention in the form of raids. A focused, step-by-step approach in the first season builds the resilience needed to weather these coming storms.
Step 1: Immediate Resource Consolidation
Before constructing a single wall, your first action should be to create a designated stockpile zone and task your followers with gathering every loose resource within reach. Berries, sticks, stones, and clay scattered around the landing site are free and essential starting capital. Leaving them to decay is a wasted opportunity that can set your early progress back significantly.
Step 2: Securing Basic Shelter
Exposure to the elements and nocturnal predators makes sleeping outdoors a severe risk. Your primary construction goal must be a simple, enclosed wooden structure with a roof, a door, and enough beds for your settlers. A basic rectangular room is perfectly functional; over-engineering at this stage wastes precious time and resources. This shelter provides safety and prevents negative moodlets from poor rest.
Step 3: Establishing a Sustainable Food Pipeline
Hunger is the most persistent threat in the early game. Initially, you will rely on foraging for wild berries and plants, supplemented by hunting if you have a capable archer. However, this is not sustainable. One of your first research priorities should be towards basic agriculture. Simultaneously, construct a campfire or clay oven to convert raw ingredients into cooked meals, which provide superior nutrition and morale bonuses compared to raw food.
Step 4: Prioritizing Technological Advancement
Research is the engine of progression. Designate a research bench early and assign your most intellectually gifted settler to it. The initial tech tree unlocks fundamental advancements: improved farming tools, better cooking methods, stronger building materials like clay and limestone, and basic defensive structures. A golden rule for colony management is to never leave the research queue empty; constant technological development is key to overcoming escalating challenges.
Step 5: Proactive Defense Preparation
Combat is an inevitability on standard difficulty settings and above. Your first raid will likely occur within the first season if you progress efficiently. Preparation is non-negotiable. Ensure every able-bodied settler has a weapon, even if it’s a simple club or bow. Use the terrain to your advantage by creating a defensible chokepoint, such as a narrow passage in your wooden palisade. Stockpile herbal medicine and ensure your food reserves are secure to endure a potential siege.
Mastering Food Security and Agriculture
Beyond the initial scramble, long-term colony stability is built on a robust and efficient food system. This involves a careful balance of farming, hunting, cooking, and storage logistics to prevent spoilage and famine.
Cultivating Your Land
Once the necessary research is complete, designate a growing zone on fertile, level ground to maximize crop yield and quality. Crop selection must account for your biome and the season. Staple crops like wheat, which has a long shelf life and is used for bread, and hardy turnips for cooler periods, should be prioritized. Plant in early spring to ensure a harvest before winter, and consider a staggered planting schedule to avoid all food ripening simultaneously.
From Raw Ingredient to Nutritious Meal
A dedicated kitchen area, equipped with a stove and with storage for ingredients and meals nearby, drastically improves your cook’s efficiency. The difference between raw and cooked food is substantial; cooked meals provide more nutrition per unit and grant positive mood buffs. As you advance, research unlocks recipes like stews and pies, which offer even greater benefits, making your cook one of your most valuable non-combat specialists.
The Battle Against Spoilage
Food management extends beyond production. Constructing an underground larder or a partially buried storage room creates a cooler environment that significantly slows decay. In winter, the outside cold can act as natural refrigeration, though this exposes your stores to animals and raiders. Implement a consumption strategy that prioritizes perishable items like vegetables and meat before they spoil, while preserving longer-lasting goods like grain for leaner times.
Navigating the early stages of Going Medieval requires a blend of rapid action and strategic foresight. By making informed choices at the start, methodically securing shelter and food, and proactively preparing for conflict, you transform a vulnerable band of survivors into the foundation of a formidable medieval stronghold. The wilderness is unforgiving, but with these foundational principles, your settlers will have more than just a fighting chance—they will have a future.
