There's no hand holding in ND games. They're tough to solve even in the easier modes with a few hints available. (versis the hard mode with no hints)
I'm a long time player of mostly Adventure, RP and HO Games, but the only real games that I totally get immersed in are the ND ones. And I'm so sad when they come to an end.
Yes they seem a bit "out of date" video-wise, and the heroine is an older teen/young adult, so some of the dialog between ND and her friends may seem too young to many players. But don't let that keep you from enjoying the great game play with good solid storylines and fascinating locales.
And there's always one or more bonus games within each game, that you can play to your heart's content.
As old as I am, I also enjoy the information I learn with each game, like the Icelandic language, and the folding symbols for Origami.
It's obvious that a lot of thought is put into these games.

My review is attached to the basic version. But I originally played the CE version 2 years ago and it remains one of my all time favorites.
Great ambience, music, storyline, hogs and puzzles and it's overall uniqueness make this game one that others should follow.
I definitely recommend this game!

Sim's Medieval is not your typical Sims game. You can only create one sim at a time and they have to be one of several "heroes" available. Your first Sim has to be either a king or queen, but after you've completed enough quests and earned enough points you can then create your next hero or heroine. You play only that Sim (until you've advanced a bit and can play multiple heroes in certain quests).

The type of hero you create will determine the way your kingdom will grow, strong in either military, intelligence, etc. A kingdom weak in any element will badly effect your community, but you may want that!

Buildings are created as you grow and choose which heroes you want to make. They are not customizable on the outside (except the grounds of the merchant and priest), but they are customizable on the inside both with items and colors/patterns.

The first kingdom you create will take a while to play, may or may not include all the heroes available (your choice) and will either pass or not pass the challenge. Passing the first challenge lets you move on to the next. (and there are a lot, and even more if you buy the 2nd ep)

There's quite a lot to this game, and although one of the main complaints has been the repetitious quests, they really can be refreshingly different when playing them with totally different personality sims and changing the way they react.

Sims can fall in love, marry and have a couple children. When your challenge is over, you do not lose your kingdom and can choose to continue playing it, or move on to the next challenge (but you can always come back to it). And in some cases, if the king/queen has an offspring, you can choose to play them as your new king/queen.
Make sure you register your game and update it.

I purchased this game when it first came out, and have never tired of it. I do stop playing for a while, but I always come back.