Any video game with a great faction system in it becomes all the more memorable for this reason alone. After all, players love the idea of messing around with certain factions, either raising their approval with them or making them hate the protagonist. However, while it's fun to disrupt the hierarchy or promote the influence of certain factions present in the game, what makes things engaging is when players create factions of their own to establish a name for themselves and their group.

There are quite a few games that let players create and build these factions up, but not a lot of them can do this right. This is what makes certain games that allow players to create these custom factions so much more engaging and immersive than ever before. The depths of these systems are what make things so much more engaging and worth checking out for any fan of unique faction-based strategy games.

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5 Galactic Civilizations 3

A Faction-Based Strategy Game Where Players Customize Their Civilizations

A space battle in Galactic Civilizations 3
Galactic Civilizations 3

Platform(s)
PC
Released
May 14, 2015
Developer
Stardock
Genre(s)
4X , Turn-Based Strategy

Despite the fourth entry being the latest one in the series, most people consider Galactic Civilizations 3 to be the far better game because of its tighter systems and fleshed-out mechanics. Sure, players can check out Galactic Civilizations 4 too, but there's a reason why people consider its predecessor to be superior.

Players create a custom civilization of their own from scratch, starting from humble beginnings to conquer a section of space for themselves. The mechanics of Galactic Civilizations 3 can take a while to understand and even longer to master, but players who give this underrated 4X strategy game a shot will be more than pleased once they learn everything there is to know.

4 Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Ambitious Players Can Create A Kingdom Of Their Own If They Wish

Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
Released
October 25, 2022
Genre(s)
Action RPG , Strategy

The Mount & Blade series is one of the most popular medieval sandbox games ever made. The freeform nature of the game's design coupled with its open-ended nature means that some players will find it hard to get into this game because of its many complex mechanics. Once players understand what this title is all about, they can spend a decent time serving under one of the many leaders in the game as they become a competent right hand for an aspiring ruler.

However, once players become more adept at playing Mount & Blade, then they'll inevitably want to reach greater heights. Players with such lofty ambitions can try to create a kingdom of their own, which isn't an easy feat in the slightest. One needs to play their cards right to surround themselves with powerful underlings who can help the player reach this lofty ambition and become a powerful entity in Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord.

3 Crusader Kings 3

Players Can Create Original Rulers And Custom Dynasties In The Ruler Designer

Some characters in Crusader Kings 3
Crusader Kings 3

Platform(s)
PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released
September 1, 2020
Developer(s)
Paradox Interactive
Genre(s)
RPG , Grand Strategy

Paradox Interactive is known for its amazing grand strategy games that let players enjoy a complicated and rewarding power fantasy, and Crusader Kings 3 is no exception here. Many people consider this title to be one of the very best that Paradox has released, in no small part because of its accessible design.

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The game added a Ruler Designer in later updates that let players create a custom ruler with a different religion and sense of culture in a nation that can have a custom name of its own too. This is perfect for players who don't care too much about historical accuracy and want to add an entirely original nation of their own in a game where consolidating as much power as possible is the name of the game.

2 EVE Online

Players Can Create Corporations That Others Can Join

EVE Online
EVE Online

Platform(s)
PC
Released
May 6, 2003
Developer(s)
CCP Games
Genre(s)
MMORPG

One of the most notorious and popular MMOs around and set in the future, the systems of EVE Online are so complicated that players can spend hundreds of hours just playing this game as they wish without even realizing that they can create corporations of their own in the game. This can be a daunting task, but even the biggest player-made corporations in the game had to start from somewhere.

It'll take a while, but patient EVE Online players who create a corporation and attain the trust of players can see their group expanding in no time. Players need to invest a lot of time and resources to ensure that they form a flourishing corporation instead of just wasting their money for no reason.

1 Stellaris

Custom Empires Can Rise To Establish Intergalactic Dominance

An image of Stellaris: Fleet Organizer
Stellaris

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , Xbox One
Released
May 9, 2016
Genre(s)
4X , Grand Strategy

After focusing on real-life history for the longest time, many people were glad to see Paradox step out of its comfort zone by tackling the sci-fi genre. It took a few updates and a lot of DLCs, but Stellaris has finally come into its own as one of the greatest 4X strategy games fans can check out.

Players can design their empires if they wish, which makes for a pretty captivating process. While the prebuilt empires are pretty engaging in their own right, most people would prefer the latter option because of how customized and personal the experience feels.

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