The game Crusader Kings 3 belongs to the strategy genre, which is developing very quickly. This genre covers long historical periods. Moreover, it includes a large number of complex obstacles that players have to overcome.
In such games, you have not just to win the war, but also to develop the infrastructure. Also, you will have to set the policy and manage the inner state of your country. Besides, an important aspect of these games is the international situation and foreign relations.
Also, this genre often involves the exploration of the map. In this process, you will have to study the resources and collect them for further use. You also need to find out the position of your enemies and friends to strengthen your positions. In games like Crusader Kings 3, the emphasis is on the management of military resources.
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This game definitely belongs to the genre that is really interesting to study. That is why we have decided to bring you the best games like Crusader Kings 3, that you should definitely try.
Europa Universalis IV
In Europa Universalis, you are the emperor. The subjects of the kingdom are ready to obey the order of the commander-in-chief.
Previously AI obediently followed the will of the player, but now the artificial opponent lives by its own principles and desires.
Revolutionary sentiments among their own countrymen begin to spill out, it is only worth the ruler to make a vicious step. Enemies do not doze off and immediately conquer the weakened state. “Europa” has matured, but at the same time has become friendlier to newcomers.
Europa Universalis 4 is the reincarnation of an exceptional representative of the global strategy genre, ready to capture your free time.
“Throughout the series, Europa represented the most global strategy ever. In the game, you can blaze unique historical trails for the same state, implementing even the boldest plans to take over the entire world.
Your actions are limited only by the diplomatic aspects of each of the represented provinces. Such freedom is also preserved in Part 4. You get a wide range of tools to create an alternate history of mankind, relying on some features of the chosen period.
For the developers from Paradox Interactive’s internal division, preserving the traditional hardcore gameplay elements of the series remained of paramount importance.
On the detailed simulation of diplomatic relations, economy, culture, religion, military complex, and trade, the whole value of the Europa Universalis series of games is based. In the fourth installment, each of these elements has been expanded and improved according to fan requests.
The principles of play in the Europa Universalis series are remarkably well combined with the usual RTS features. This time the developers reconsidered the whole way of the series. Thanks to its great predecessor the global project Europa Universalis 4 was free of bugs in the release version.
In Europa Universalis 4 the formation of the whole trading empires, such as Venice, is possible. To create a trade route special transport hubs on the sea map are mastered. As a rule, they are located in places of accumulation of goods flows, which are indicated by arrows.
Once a route is created, it must be secured with the help of the navy. Now the naval units have another use. Thanks to the merchants you can supply the state with exquisite goods and replenish the treasury with gold.
Successful trade is now also important in diplomatic relations. A rich country that is linked to a huge number of partners by lucrative deals has an equal word with a strong state that has a huge army.
Once you manage to score enough monarch political points for administrative reforms amid economic successes, your enemies will immediately begin to look enviously at your territories.
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Stellaris
Stellaris makes it clear from the start that it is not like all space strategies.
Great music, which captures the spirit of space exploration, and atmospheric art, dedicated to the landscapes of distant planets, are waiting for the player. Stellaris doesn’t forget about mood and stylistics.
As usual, the new game starts with the choice of your empire and galaxy settings, where the upcoming battle for domination in the universe will take place.
The civilization constructor is very detailed. You can choose a race from six basic species, its appearance, biological traits, ethics, and, finally, its form of government.
You can even make an empire of hideous reptilian xenophobes, who place a high priority on military affairs. Here you also choose your preferred type of planet to inhabit, your primary weapon, and one of three possible types of interstellar travel.
All of these features are needed for a reason. Each of them directly affects the gameplay. For example, a military dictatorship increases the possible fleet limit and reduces the cost of maintaining ships.
Peaceful ethics gives a penalty to army damage but raises the food gain. These are not all possible effects. The choice of starter features is very important and should be made based on the intended style of play.
When your own empire is finally created, the number of future brothers in mind and the size of the galaxy are chosen, it’s time to go into the unknown.
Solving internal problems takes as much time as foreign policy. War, of course, will have to be fought, but war is not in the first place here, which again distinguishes Stellaris from the analogs in the genre.
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to conquer the entire galaxy. Large empires can face not only growing separatism, but also so-called late game crises.
This can be a mysterious threat from a neighboring galaxy, a swarm of space monsters destroying all life, or a robot uprising. Not everyone will be able to overcome such difficulties. But, the gameplay will involve any lover of the genre.
Hearts of Iron IV
Hearts of Iron IV is a global map strategy game about World War II.
The player assumes responsibility for one side of the grand conflict, and the choice is not limited to the obvious.
In addition to the USSR, USA, Germany, Japan, Britain, and France, you are free to lead, for example, Brazil and bring order to the globe.
Hearts of Iron series always differs from the other grandees of global strategy games by the high attention to detail.
So, the logic of interaction with them is built on a completely different level. There is the responsibility to constantly provide your soldiers with weapons and provisions and equipment.
At the same time, you also have to keep an eye on the situation on the home front. For example, the state of the factories, the satisfaction of the population, because in the case of illiterate steps and in spite of active combat operations, a revolution could easily break out in the capital.
Let the number “IV” in the title does not scare away a potential player. With each new part of the game, there are more features. The process of interaction with the game is simplified and moves towards convenience and easier to master.
Mastering strategy from Paradox is still difficult for an unfamiliar player. But, the hours of a meticulous study of the game’s basics quickly pay off in the enjoyment gained. It so happens that Hearts of Iron is one of the most serious, complex, and thoughtful strategies about World War II.
The game clearly demonstrates, in simplified form, what it means to run a state on the eve of the bloodiest and most uncompromising conflict in world history.
A great deal of attention is given to solving the simplest of questions. For example, where to get steel and fuel for tanks and planes, or how to build warships.
Any omission on your part greatly affects the outcome of the campaign. If you don’t buy the necessary supplies, your soldiers fight in rags and scatter the first time they are attacked.
Directing military actions in Hearts of Iron IV is truly a puzzle. Despite the fact that they all take place on a global map, the importance of terrain, weather conditions, and morale in the troops has not disappeared.
Imperator: Rome
In Imperator: Rome you can choose any of several hundred states that existed at the time on a huge, detailed map.
The game does not prevent you from choosing any barbarian tribes. But the most interesting in the game is Ancient Rome, that empire must be developed and improved.
This can be done both through diplomatic and economic methods, as well as through weapons and conquering new territories. The map in the game covers part of modern Europe with its countries, Asia, and northern Africa. So there are more than enough places to turn around.
The task in front of you is more than simple. Under the leadership of their state to achieve development and prosperity ahead of all nearest competitors. An important feature of the game is that the game must keep track of and balance between all areas of state policy.
Playing for a particular state you need to start somehow expanding the territories. As mentioned, there are many aspects to consider in the game.
Starting with large-scale things like the form of government, which is represented in the game by a monarchy, republic, and flame system. Finishing with the peculiarities of resource production in a particular province and other small details.
But, this does not mean that this strategy will be difficult. It is possible to understand the game. Understanding the key aspects and achieve the first success in the game process immediately begins to drag on and fascinating.
In short, everything is quite simple. In any country, you need to build a good economy through resource extraction and trade. Each social group is essential to its purpose in the state and thus their interests must always be taken into account.
Since ruling any country alone will not be easy, regardless of the form of government, you can hire a few officials and scientists. They will bring you a bonus and development in certain areas.
We want to tell you a little bit about the war in the game. In Imperator: Rome you form an army of units of a certain kind of troops, put a commander and go into battle. You also need to think about the offensive, creating several armies that will attack from the flanks.
So you won’t be surrounded or chased by a huge army all over the territory. In general, conquering new lands in the game is interesting, but as said before it will have its consequences.
So what can we say about the new Imperator: Rome? It is not a bad strategy, which perfectly borrowed all the features and key aspects of Paradox Interactive. The large scale and the elaboration of the map amaze you. It is also worth highlighting the presence of many mechanics of ruling your country.
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Total War™: ROME II
There is no doubt that the global strategy game Rome has become, if not perfect, then the longest-lived and most interesting representative of the Total War series.
Rome: Total War maintains its popularity thanks to its extensive gaming community.
As before, you are immersed in a meditative mix of hours of strategic planning and tactical action. Here, success is shaped by the endless bickering of one character with another.
To the relaxing music and thundering cry of warriors, you watch an epic adventure of truly enormous proportions. Total War: Rome 2 remains true to the traditions of the series in every respect.
With this game, the freedom to rewrite history in a new way is once again in your hands. The in-game dilemmas and missions only help you in determining your own goals. You rank in such a way that you make the most of the available advantages on the global map.
You can have a lot of opportunities for action. For example, the economic system of Rome 2 is more interesting and wider than ever before.
The provincial division of regions allows you to develop the state progressively, carefully thinking every move ahead. In small towns, you create a military complex, trade missions, Romanization strongholds, or farmlands.
Thanks to such a carefully designed scheme, we have to build the empire in a balanced way. If you want conquest, then it is very important to establish a wide supply of provisions.
Diplomacy now works perfectly. There are several innovations, including such an important thing as the non-aggression pact. In Rome 2 a non-aggression pact is valid for 10 turns and implies the peaceful coexistence of the pact signatories.
But any diplomatic ties sooner or later break. About the peaceful coexistence in Total War, everyone will have to forget. The second “Rome” is traditionally impressive with its tactical battles.
Rome 2 is a gigantic time-consuming project that takes into account the desires of loyal fans and is ready to interest newcomers.
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS
Total War: Three Kingdoms is an attempt to illustrate the most important period in history.
The game is built around heroes, unique commanders who lead the troops, inspiring ordinary people to do great things.
Each available faction is led by a legendary character. They all have unique units and buildings. Here you have to plunder the cities of your enemies. If you don’t do robbery for a long time, your fame will drop, which will negatively affect the mood of the faction’s characters.
The developers of the game have given personality to each character. All have their own characters. Characters may conflict with each other. Thus, if there are characters in one army that don’t like each other, loyalty will fall.
Characters have different abilities in combat. Given that there can only be a maximum of three heroes in an army, you need to learn how to balance and choose the right combinations. Thus, the characters complement each other’s powers.
Here, heroes can challenge enemy commanders to a duel. Winning it brings solid bonuses to his squad and problems with the morale of the enemy.
Characters can not only fight, they also manage provinces and engage in espionage. Agents in enemy states are very helpful, as they can influence the economy and army of the enemy.
In general, all Chinese units are the same, but there are very many units unique to each faction and to each commander. This system allows battles to remain diverse. At the beginning of any campaign, all countries are small. Very quickly all kingdoms begin to increase in size.
Diplomacy in Total War: Three Kingdoms is important. It is certainly possible to defeat everyone by yourself if you are a strategic and tactical genius. But, in that case, you need to be able to defeat one army, save every soldier, every army, every commander.
That said, if you weave intrigue behind the backs of key opponents, you can form lucrative alliances. These allow you to keep your enemies under control and not allow them to proliferate.
Diplomacy and espionage can be used to create chaos within the enemy coalition, weaken it and always be one step ahead. The map in the game is divided into areas, and each area has a capital and villages that produce food, resources, or goods.
Food is very important in this game and enough of it can guarantee constant population growth and fast regeneration of defeated units. In capitals you can build different buildings, strengthening army, economy, giving contentment or various bonuses.
Technology is pumped very simply. Every 5 turns you can pump a new technology, which gives minor bonuses, such as extra income from industry or an improved supply system of the army. New factions will have their own progression system.
Field of Glory: Empires
Field of Glory: Empires is a turn-based global strategy game about the ancient world.
Here you choose a country, expand it, fight other countries, and conduct diplomacy.
You don’t have to change the entire map to win. Winning the game requires scoring three times as many heritage points as the nearest competitor.
Your state doesn’t have to be located on the entire map to get enough points. What’s more, even if a state is destroyed, it can still win. After all, its legacy points aren’t going anywhere.
Legacy points are a fairly complex mechanic. You can get them for many actions, and they are a measure of your game’s effectiveness.
The distinctive mechanics of Field of Glory: Empires are about progress and decline. In general terms, it depicts how civilizations come to greatness and then go back down again.
Your goal is to keep the rate of cultural growth higher than the rate of decline. If this happens over a long period of time, the state will evolve to new forms of government and receive bonuses. If decay dominates, the effect is the opposite, up to and including civil war.
The mechanics look very interesting and original, and in a fairly non-boring way replace the classic penalties in other games. Particular attention should be paid to the concept of the width of the front. Depending on the type of terrain, a limited number of units can fight simultaneously.
All this looks simply amazing on the background of many bored global strategies, in which all the battles are decided only by who has more soldiers.
Sieges are also present in the game. Their mechanics are pretty standard, and the assault does not differ from normal battles. The cities have garrisons, which can be improved by building some buildings in the best traditions of recent Total War games.
Separately we want to say that the game is quite full of unique faction units. Moreover, every time you create a province on the global map, this province allows you to hire a unique provincial unit.
Field of Glory: Empires is what strategy should be. It’s the kind of game that will make you think, explore, and plan. It is full of interesting and new mechanics. It’s complete on release and you don’t have to wait for a dozen add-ons and patches to play properly.
Distant Worlds: Universe
The scale of this game is staggering. It’s hard to believe that it honestly simulates thousands of planets, moons, and meteor fields, dozens of nebulae, black holes, and hundreds of squadrons scurrying between them.
There are no separate galaxy screens, systems, or tactical battles. All events take place simultaneously on a giant field whose view is freely adjustable.
Making global decisions is more interesting when you judge their impact on ordinary ships and settlements live rather than by charts and tables. But the price of this opportunity is great.
There are so many little things that catch your attention that it’s easy to get lost in the search for the right one.
The economy here is divided into public and private segments. Entrepreneurs who own their own flotillas and stations take care of all the chores and fill the coffers.
They cannot be managed directly, only to determine the policy of the state, maneuvering between the convenience of control and profitability.
Expansion is facilitated by a special tool, the “planner. In this menu, the player sets priorities and studies the list of objects suitable for colonization and construction of mines. After evaluating their description and position on the mini-map, he sends the appropriate ship to the target.
All other spheres are also transferred to automation. If you wish, Distant Worlds is capable of working autonomously, turning you into a spectator.
Of course, it’s better to set up an intermediate option. You can assign some things to the computer, follow the advice and suggestions, and only the most important questions to be solved personally.
But, despite this gameplay, the game will long draw in those who are hungry for something other than the massacre of aliens.
There’s plenty to do here besides wars. While some set up trade, check migration flows, and get rich off tourism, others weave intrigues and build surveillance bases near potential enemies.
As you explore the world, you often stumble upon abandoned orbital stations and ancient ruins. They can hide danger or a nice “pension boost”, a couple of pages from the annals or information about landmarks.
Unraveling the tangle of secrets gives you tangible bonuses like special forms of government inherent in long-vanished civilizations.
Banished
It is one of the best hybrids of economics and survival.
While in other city-building strategies the initial stage is overcome in minutes, in Banished you will have to take care of every settler and keep a close eye on the number of resources for hours.
There’s no time to think about grand estates and decorative fountains. You’ll have to build a few huts and stock up on provisions before winter arrives. Reasons forwards to move into the cemetery abound.
You have run out of food, and the hunter’s hut is not completed – the population will begin to dwindle rapidly. There is no firewood or warm clothing left in the storehouse – the settlers will end up in the nearest snowdrifts.
Workers die under rockfalls, fall prey to wild boars, or die from an unknown disease. A chain of accidents and random events can turn a village into a mass grave.
Fortunately, every settler has surprisingly straight hands. Miners in the sowing season can be sent to the vegetable garden, fishermen settle in the forge if necessary, and healers are sent to graze cattle. There are no irreplaceable characters in the world of the game.
This convention is compensated for by the added complexity. Plots of land are depleted over time, and deer are run off the land and leave the village without meat.
You can only get new crops or livestock from merchants. It is equally important to keep an eye on the demographics. Wards will not be able to have children in the same house as their parents.
Although, it is worth it to build a living space for youngsters, as they begin to frantically breed and multiply, which leads to the appearance of dozens of hungry residents. Only by striking a delicate balance of fertility can the village thrive.
Tropico 5
The plot of the fifth part of the city-building simulator is again based on the story of the honest and noble El Presidente.
He has political, social, and economic levers at his disposal, which he can use to make his own state world-famous and very strong.
The country has been under your rule for several centuries. Everything starts back in the nineteenth century, followed by the Great Depression and world wars. Then you find yourself in the modern world. Each era is unique.
There are more than a hundred quests in the game that correspond to one or another period of history. Besides, the family of the venerable El Presidente is also quite many.
By investing in your own dynasty, you make it more influential and learn a lot about it. Any member of the family can take up the position of general, ambassador, or ruler.
Modernization and research are an important part of the gameplay. It is necessary to find previously unknown resources, master the skill of creating new buildings, and work on the development of your own nation. Old buildings can be more effective if you update them.
The merchant fleet and trade system as a whole has become more sophisticated. Players can create a trade fleet of impressive scale to exchange goods with neighboring islands.
Ships will help you do this. Multiplayer and cooperative modes are available to gamers. Engaged in the construction and development of cities can be up to four dictators at once. They can fight each other and exchange useful resources.
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Company of Heroes 2
In this game, fans of the genre were confronted with a real-time strategy game with a story that is more vivid than the gameplay itself.
The central element of the narrative is the confrontation between a front-line correspondent and a colonel.
Between the story inserts you will find the traditional gameplay for the Company of Heroes. Although it has undergone some changes since the first part. Technological basis, namely the engine, graphics, and model processing game events rewritten from scratch.
The key to success in single-player and multiplayer matches is still a timely transition from the opening expansion of the infantry on the resource points, followed by a vicious defense supported by the artillery of different calibers and purposes to the rapid endgame with tank wedges.
As soon as you delay in shifting the center of gravity from the infantry to the armored vehicles, the enemy is already attacking the entire front, clanking caterpillars and breaking the lovingly constructed line of defense.
