I never played the second one, but the first is one of my fonder memories. I played it for weeks on end. The castle design was so much fun. I still remember the castle building music. I also remember how bad I was at it. Later on as an adult I managed to install it and beat it soundly without even trying. The manual was a very fun read too. It gives a fun little history of life as a peasant.
It turns out this was one of blizzard's first games. Before that blackthorn and lost vikings and all of that.