You're standing in the middle of a muddy street in 15th-century Europe. There’s a guy over by the well trying to court your sister, and frankly, he looks like a penniless rogue. You could go talk to him. Or, you could hire a thug to beat him senseless behind the tavern so you can focus on building your bakery empire. That is the chaotic, beautiful, and often frustrating reality of The Guild 2 Europa 1410. It isn't just a game; it’s a life simulator that somehow manages to be more stressful than actual life.
Honestly, it's a miracle this game even works.
If you’ve spent any time in the The Guild franchise, you know the drill. It’s a hybrid. Part RPG, part economic strategy, and part "how many family members can I get into the city council before someone poisons my porridge?" The Europa 1410 expansion, which was eventually folded into The Guild 2: Renaissance, stands out because it tried to capture a very specific moment in history. The year 1410 wasn't just a random date. It was the tail end of the Middle Ages, the cusp of the Renaissance, and a time when the Hanseatic League was basically running the show in Northern Europe.
What is The Guild 2 Europa 1410 anyway?
Let's clear something up right away. A lot of people get confused between the standalone expansions and the "Gold" editions. The Guild 2 Europa 1410 was originally released as a standalone expansion pack in 2007, developed by 49Games and published by JoWooD Productions. It didn't require the base game to play. That was a big deal back then. It added new professions, a massive map of Europe, and refined the social mechanics that made the original game a cult classic.
The game lets you choose a path. You can be a Patron, a Craftsman, a Scholar, or a Rogue.
Being a Patron sounds fancy, but mostly you're just managing farms and trying to make sure your cows don't die of the plague. On the flip side, being a Rogue is a blast until the town guard catches you pickpocketing the mayor. The 1410 version specifically leaned into the geographical scope. You weren't just stuck in one tiny village. You were dealing with the broader European landscape, which felt massive at the time.
Why the 1410 setting actually matters
History nerds love this specific era. 1410 was the year of the Battle of Grunwald. While the game doesn't force you to go fight in massive historical battles—it’s much more focused on your personal dynasty—that atmosphere of shifting power is everywhere. The church is losing its absolute grip, and the merchant class is rising.
In the game, this translates to the "Social Standing" system. You aren't just trying to get rich. Wealth is a means to an end. You want titles. You want to be a Baron. You want to be the one who decides who gets executed on Tuesday. This level of political maneuvering is what separates The Guild 2 Europa 1410 from something like The Sims or Anno. It’s meaner. It’s grittier.
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The AI in 1410 was... well, it was something. Sometimes the rival dynasties are geniuses who outmaneuver you in court. Other times, they just stand in front of their house until they starve. That jank is part of the charm. You've got to embrace the bugs to enjoy the brilliance.
The professions that changed the game
Before this expansion, the career paths felt a bit limited. Europa 1410 helped flesh things out.
Take the Gravedigger profession. It sounds macabre because it is. You spend your nights looking for "supplies" and your days burying the townspeople. It’s a weirdly lucrative business model during a plague year. Or look at the Miller. It sounds boring until you realize you control the food supply. If you decide to jack up the prices, the whole town feels it.
The interplay between these roles is the "secret sauce." If you’re a blacksmith, you need the wood from the woodcutter. If the woodcutter hates you because you sued him for slander in the town hall last week, you’re in trouble. He might just stop selling to you. Then your business fails. Then your kids grow up poor. Then they can't marry the Duke’s daughter. It’s a domino effect of medieval misery and triumph.
Managing your dynasty (and your temper)
The core loop of The Guild 2 Europa 1410 is the passage of time. You start as a single person. You find a spouse. You have kids. Eventually, your main character dies, and you take over as the heir.
This is where the game gets personal.
I remember a run where my main character, a very successful tailor, died of old age right before he was about to be elected Sovereign. His son, who was basically a drunken layabout I hadn't bothered to train, took over. Within two years, the family business was bankrupt and the rival dynasty had us thrown in the dungeons.
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It hurts.
You have to think generations ahead. Are you training your kids? Are you sending them to school? Are you finding them spouses with high "Charisma" stats so they can charm the voters? It’s basically Succession, but with more tunics and public floggings.
The technical side of the 1410 era
Technically speaking, The Guild 2 engine was always a bit of a nightmare. It used Gamebryo (the same engine as Oblivion), and it struggled with pathfinding and memory leaks. The Europa 1410 expansion tried to patch some of these issues, but it also introduced its own quirks.
Modern players usually skip the standalone 1410 and go straight for The Guild 2: Renaissance. Why? Because Renaissance is basically the "final form" of all the expansions, including the 1410 content. It’s more stable, has more professions, and the community has spent a decade modding it into something playable on Windows 10 and 11.
But there’s a certain nostalgia for the 1410 release. It was the first time the game felt "big." It wasn't just a sequel; it was an expansion of the entire philosophy of the game.
Common misconceptions about the 1410 expansion
People often think this is a combat game. It’s not. If you go into this expecting Chivalry or Mount & Blade, you’re going to be bored to tears. The combat is clunky. You click a person, your character swings a sword, and the person with the better stats wins.
The real "combat" happens in the courtroom.
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Another myth is that you can't play as a "good" person. You totally can. You can be the most honest baker in the land, donate to the church, and win everyone over with your kindness. It’s just... way harder. Corruption is a shortcut. Bribery works. Threatening a witness works. The game asks you: how far are you willing to go to ensure your family name lives for 200 years?
How to actually win in 1410
There isn't a "win" screen in the traditional sense, unless you're playing a specific scenario mission. Usually, you set your own goals. But if you want to dominate, you need to follow a few unwritten rules:
- Diversify immediately. Don't just own three bakeries. Own a bakery, a farm, and a tavern. Vertical integration is your friend.
- The Council is King. Getting a seat on the town council gives you immunity from certain laws. If you are the judge, you can't be prosecuted for the "unfortunate accident" that happened to your rival.
- Marry for stats, not love. It sounds cold, but you need a spouse who can help run the business or handle the politics. Look for high "Craftsmanship" or "Rhetoric."
- Watch the clock. Rounds go by fast. If you spend all day walking across the map to buy cheap iron, you've wasted half a year of game time.
Where to find it today
If you’re looking to play this in 2026, don't go hunting for an old CD-ROM of The Guild 2 Europa 1410. You’ll just get a headache. The best way to experience this content is through The Guild 2: Renaissance on Steam or GOG. It includes the maps, the professions, and the 1410 vibes but with fewer crashes.
Also, look into the Fajeth’s MegaMod. It’s a community-made overhaul that fixes the AI, balances the economy, and makes the political system actually make sense. It’s basically essential at this point.
Actionable steps for your first 1410 run
If you're jumping in for the first time, don't try to be a mastermind right away. You'll fail and get frustrated.
- Start as a Craftsman. It's the easiest way to understand the economy. Build a forge or a bakery and learn how to manage the supply chain.
- Focus on one town. Don't try to spread your influence across the whole map until you've secured a high-ranking position in your home city.
- Save often. Seriously. The game can crash, or you might make a political mistake that ruins ten hours of progress.
- Use the "Fast Forward" button sparingly. It's tempting to speed through the night, but that's when your rivals are out there burning down your buildings.
The beauty of The Guild 2 Europa 1410 is that it doesn't hold your hand. It drops you in the mud and tells you to build a legacy. It's frustrating, buggy, and complicated, but when you finally see your family crest hanging over the city gates, it feels better than almost any other victory in gaming. You didn't just win a match; you survived history.