Highlights
- Grand strategy games offer players the opportunity to alter history and explore "what if" scenarios, such as the Vikings never invading the British Isles or the Roman Empire never falling.
- Games like Hearts Of Iron 4, Crusader Kings 2, Victoria 3, Europa Universalis 4, and Civilization 6 allow players to take on leadership roles in different eras and make important decisions that shape the course of history.
- These games provide a deep and immersive experience, with a focus on diplomatic, political, economic, and military challenges, allowing players to create alternate realities and see how the world would have been if historical events unfolded differently.
Altering history within the gaming world is always an interesting prospect, and with the player being at the helm of the big decisions in grand strategy games, this makes for bundles of possibilities and "what if" pathways to be explored.
What if the Vikings never invaded the British Isles? What if the Roman Empire never fell? These are just two examples of the enthralling situations which can be experienced in grand strategy games. Players who love history will no doubt find enjoyment in these types of grand strategy games, while these particular titles are also generally great experiences that anyone can enjoy.
6 Hearts Of Iron 4
A game that chucks the player straight into the ever-changing political and militant years of World War 2, Hearts Of Iron 4 gives the player the choice of any of the major powers from World War 2, whether it be an Allied, Axis, or neutral country. Hearts Of Iron 4 delves into more than just war, with in-depth diplomatic, political, and economic tasks that really challenge the player in their ability to run a country during a time of war and conflict.
This sets up a very interesting prospect of what might've happened if certain crucial historical events never took place. Players can see how World War 2 would transpire with "what if" situations, such as seeing what would happen if the USA never intervened, or if the UK actually sided with the Axis nations. With the player being the leader of one of the countries, they have the choice in how their country acts. Players can explore a multitude of crazy but interesting alternate realities in Hearts Of Iron 4.
5 Crusader Kings 2
The second installment to the Crusader Kings franchise by the grand strategy experts Paradox Interactive, Crusader Kings 2 allows the player to become a ruler in the Middle Ages, navigating their way to land and riches through battle, diplomatic tactics, and the darker strategies of life as a ruler.
Crusader Kings 2 is extremely in-depth, with immersive maps, deep historical knowledge of countries and historical figures, and a type of gameplay that expresses the importance of the decision-making of a ruler in the Middle Ages. Players can alter history immensely, with many different possible paths to take in a bid to control the world.
4 Victoria 3
As the title suggests, Victoria 3 is a game that drops the player into the Victorian age, specifically 1836, letting the player control any of the countries across the world, whether it be the growing power of Brazil, the established Empires of Britain and France, or an independent country navigating its way through an age of trade and turmoil.
Victoria 3 has more of a focus on diplomatic and economic gameplay as opposed to war being the most important factor. This doesn't mean that war is not a thing in Victoria 3, and like in most grand strategy games, players can attempt conflicts across the world. Victoria 3 allows players to change the course of history in many ways, without limiting the player to simply declaring war on their enemies, which is nice to see in a historical grand strategy game.
3 Europa Universalis 4
Another grand strategy game from Paradox Interactive, Europa Universalis 4 begins in the Renaissance era, a time in which Empires and nations across the globe took a firm interest in trade, along with an influx in colonization, creating an ever-changing landscape across the world.
Players take control of a country or realm and lead their people to survive, by whichever means that may be. This game allows players to alter key points in history, such as major battles, relationships between states, and the formation of countries or even Empires, leading to a chance to see what the world would look like if certain epochal events took completely different turns.
2 Civilization 6
Created by Sid Meier, the Civilization franchise always seems to deliver on creating a unique grand strategy experience, with the turn-based element and the hex-like layout. Civilization 6 is the most recent edition of the franchise, with up-to-date graphics and capabilities, this alternate history grand strategy is one of the more mainstream titles.
Players can take on legendary rulers from past eras, such as Julius Caesar or Genghis Khan, in a bid to become the most powerful civilization around. Players can battle opponents, grow their cities, and expand their Empires. This game has a great online mode, which allows players to create alternate histories with or against friends.
1 Crusader Kings 3
The successor to the highly rated Crusader Kings 2 game, Crusader Kings 3 is the latest edition of the hugely successful Crusader Kings franchise from Paradox Interactive. Crusader Kings 3 is essentially a modernized version of Crusader Kings 2, with better graphics and more role-playing elements. Crusader Kings 3 allows players to start as an original ruler from 867 AD or 1066 AD, while also allowing players to create their own fictional rulers for a truly ahistorical playthrough.
Players can live out some of the most influential and interesting conflicts, events, and crises of the Middle Ages, fighting wars against or alongside Viking invaders, taking part in Crusades, and confronting some of the most famous Empires of all time. Crusader Kings 3 has a great online function that allows players to alter history alongside friends, whether it be players working together or fighting against each other. Ultimately, they can change the historical landscape in any way that they please, which is also possible in the single-player mode as well.